SafePlants

Beggarticks: A Sticky Situation... and More!

Beggarticks, a common name for plants in the Bidens genus, are known for their distinctive fruits that readily cling to fur and clothing, aiding in seed dispersal. These plants display a variety of forms, from small wildflowers to potentially weedy species.

Considerations for Pets

• The barbed pappi (bristles) on the fruits readily stick to animal fur, potentially causing discomfort or matting.
• The text mentions that the small, burlike fruit is covered with tiny, hooked prickles.

Considerations for Children

• The barbed pappi (bristles) on the fruits readily stick to clothing, potentially causing discomfort.
• The text mentions that the small, burlike fruit is covered with tiny, hooked prickles.

Common Names

• Beggarticks
• Devil's Beggarticks
• Devil's-Pitchfork
• Devil's Bootjack
• Bur Marigold
• Spanish Needles
• Romerillo

Scientific Names and Taxonomy

• Genus: Bidens
• Kingdom: Plantae
• Family: Asteraceae (also known as Compositae)

Specific Species Mentioned:

• Bidens mitis (Small-fruit Beggarticks)
  • Synonyms: Small-fruited Beggarticks
• Bidens frondosa (Beggar-ticks)
• Bidens aequisquama (Mexican Beggar-ticks)
• Bidens discoidea (Swamp Beggarticks, Small Beggarticks)
• Bidens pilosa (Hairy Beggarticks)
• Bidens tenuisecta (Slim-Lobe Beggarticks)
• Bidens amplissima (Vancouver Island Beggarticks)
• Bidens ferulifolia
• Bidens aurea (Apache Beggarticks, Bur Marigold)

Distribution and Habitat

• Small beggar-ticks are native to New England.
• Hairy beggar-ticks are native to tropical America.
• Bidens amplissima (Vancouver Island Beggarticks) are found in British Columbia.
• They often bloom along the edges of streams.
• Some species are found in swamps and fields.
• Some species, like Bidens mitis, are found in Florida wetlands.

Ecological Role

• Some Beggarticks, like Hairy Beggar-ticks, can become major weeds.
• Their seed dispersal is facilitated by animals, to whom the prickly fruits attach.

Morphological Characteristics

• Some Beggarticks grow up to 3 1/2 feet in height.
• The plant can have yellow flowers, sometimes with a few small yellow rays, and sometimes lacking them entirely.
• Fruits are often wedge-shaped achenes with barbed bristles.
• Bidens ferulifolia is a short-lived perennial, grown as an annual, with finely divided bright green leaves and yellow flowers.

Interactions with Other Organisms

• The fruits are eaten by ducks.
• They are visited by coreopsidis & Brachycauda helichrysi, larvae of the fruit fly Icterica seriata.
• Leaves are eaten by a little white caterpillar.

Quirky Facts

• The barbed fruits, responsible for the plant's spread, are called "cypselas." These fruits attach to fur and clothing.

Further Information

• Integrated Taxonomic Information System (ITIS)
• NatureServe