Beggar-ticks (Bidens pilosa, Sp. Pl.: 832 (1753))

Family: Asteraceae

Author: L.

Bibliography: Sp. Pl.: 832 (1753)

Year: 1753

Status: accepted

Rank: species

Genus: Bidens

Vegetable: Unknown

Observations: Trop. & Subtrop. America

Description

Beggar-ticks, scientifically known as Bidens pilosa, is a notable member of the Asteraceae family. This plant is widely observed across tropical and subtropical regions of America. Commonly found in a variety of habitats, it thrives in open fields, roadsides, and disturbed lands, often becoming a noticeable and sometimes invasive presence.

The plant has a variety of traditional and medicinal uses in different cultures. Historically, it has been employed for its potential anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, and anti-diabetic properties. The leaves and stems are often used in traditional remedies, where they are typically prepared as teas or topical treatments.

Bidens pilosa is characterized by its erect, branching stems which can grow up to 1.5 meters in height. The leaves are deeply lobed, with serrated edges, giving them a distinctive appearance. One of the most recognizable features of this plant is its flowers. The flowers are small, typically yellow or white, and occur in clusters. Following the flowering stage, the plant produces seed heads composed of numerous barbed seeds that easily attach to clothing or animal fur, aiding in seed dispersal.

The adaptability and resilience of Beggar-ticks make it a plant of interest not just ecologically, but also agriculturally. In many regions, it is considered a weed due to its rapid growth and the challenges it poses to crops by competing for nutrients, light, and space.

First described in 1753, Bidens pilosa has been a subject of botanical studies and continues to intrigue scientists and horticulturists alike for its versatility and widespread distribution. Its role in ecosystems, as well as its interaction with various plant and animal species, underlines the importance of understanding this common yet complex plant.

In summary, Beggar-ticks or Bidens pilosa is a versatile and widespread plant of significant interest due to its ecological impact, adaptability, and traditional uses. Its presence in tropical and subtropical regions underscores its ability to flourish in varied environments, making it a notable species within the Asteraceae family.

Common Names

Deu: behaarter zweizahn, zweizahn
Fra: bident poilu, bident hérissé
Eng: black-jack, hairy beggar’s ticks, hairy beggarticks, spanish needles, spanish-needles, beggar’s ticks, beggar-ticks, cobbler’s pegs, cobblers’-pegs, common beggarticks, fisi`uli
Heb: do-shen sa’ir
Ita: forbicina pelosa
Dan: sydamerikansk brøndsel
Por: agulha, amor-de-burro, carrapicho-de-agulha, carrapicho-de-duas-pontas, cuambú, erva-carneira, erva-picão, fura-capa
Run: amakanda
Spa: amores-de-burro, bidente piloso, dos dientes, erva-carneira, fura-capa
Ces: dvouzubec chlupatý
En: Beggar-ticks, Black-jack, Spanish-needles, Cobblers’-pegs, Hairy beggar-ticks, Hairy bidens, Hairy beggarticks, Farmer’s Friends, Soldier’s vegetables, Z’Herbe Zuedruite, Spanish needles, Hairy beggartick, Spanishneedles, Rebbhâ sangkap, Hairy Beggar’s ticks, Beggar’s ticks, Cobbler’s pegs, Common beggarticks, Fisi`uli, Romerillo, Beggar’s-tick, Cobblers’ pegs, White beggar’s ticks, Spanish needle, Beggar’s tick, Bidens, Bur-marigold, Cuckold, Kofe tonga, Sticktight, Blackjack
Af: Wewenaar
Am: ጨጎጊት
Ca: Bident pilós
Zh: 三叶鬼针草
Cs: Dvouzubec chlupatý
Da: Sydamerikansk brøndsel
Et: Karvane ruse
Fi: Karvarusokki
Fr: Herbe d’aiguille, Bident hérissé, Bident poilu, Bident pileux, Bident trifolié, Eupatoire aquatique, Herbe aiguille, Zerb zaiguille, Persil diable, Radié aiguille, Piquant, Sournet, Herbe à aiguilles
De: Zweizahn, Behaarter Zweizahn
He: Do-shen sa’ir, דו-שן שעיר
Id: Ketul
It: Forbicina pelosa
Ja: Ko-sendangusa
Km: ភិដែន
Rw: Inyabarasanya, Inyabarasanyo, Nyabarasanyo, Urunyabarasania
Rn: Amakanda, Icaanda, Ichanda
Ml: സ്നേഹക്കൂറ
Mi: Kamu (seeds), Koheriki
Ne: कालोकुरो
Pl: Uczep owłosiony
Pt: Carrapicho-de-agulha, Picão preto, Picão, Agulha, Amor-de-burro, Carrapicho-de-duas-pontas, Cuambú, Erva-carneira, Erva-picão, Fura-capa, Goambú, Macela-do-campo, Malpica, Pica-pica, Picão-do-campo, Picão-preto, Piolho-de-padre
Pt-br: Picão-preto
Qu: P’irqa
Es: Mozote, Bidente piloso, Amores-de-burro, Dos dientes, Erva-carneira, Fura-capa, Pica-pica, Aceitilla, Ppirka, Moriseco, Mozotillo
Su: Hareuga
Sv: Nålskära
Zh-tw: 三葉鬼針草
Th: ปืนนกไส้
To: Fisiʻuli
Vi: Xuyến chi
Cy: Graban blewog

Synonyms

• Bidens hirsuta (Nutt.)
• Bidens reflexa (Link)
• Bidens pilosa f. indivisa (Sherff)
• Bidens taquetii (H.Lév. & Vaniot)
• Bidens adhaerescens (Vell.)
• Cosmea pilosa ((L.) Spreng.)
• Coreopsis leucantha (L.)
• Bidens pilosa f. pilosior (Kuntze)
• Bidens africana (Klatt)
• Bidens abadiae var. pilosoides (Sherff)
• Bidens californica (DC.)
• Bidens pilosa subvar. discoidea (Pit.)
• Bidens barrancae (M.E.Jones)
• Bidens pilosa f. simplex (Sherff)
• Bidens pilosa f. minor ((Blume) Sherff)
• Bidens pilosa var. calcicola (Sherff)
• Bidens paleacea (Vis.)
• Bidens montaubani (Phil.)
• Coreopsis multifida var. mutica (DC.)
• Bidens pilosa var. minor ((Blume) Sherff)
• Bidens pilosa f. subbiternata (Kuntze)
• Bidens pilosa f. monophylla (Sherff)
• Bidens sundaica var. minor (Blume)
• Bidens viciosoi (Pau)
• Bidens arenaria (Gand.)
• Bidens abadiae (DC.)
• Bidens hispida (Kunth)
• Bidens alausensis (Kunth)
• Bidens hirta (Jord. ex Gren. & Godr.)
• Bidens striata (Schott ex Sweet)
• Bidens pinnata (Noronha)
• Bidens scandicina (Kunth)
• Bidens chilensis (DC.)
• Bidens aurantiaca (Colenso)
• Bidens leucanthema var. pilosa ((L.) Griseb.)
• Cosmos pinnatus (Jacq. ex Steud.)
• Bidens chilensis var. apiifolia (DC.)
• Bidens pilosa var. apiifolia (Sherff)
• Bidens pilosa var. alausesis ((Kunth) Sherff)
• Bidens pilosa f. pinnata (Kuntze)
• Bidens odorata (Cav.)
• Bidens rosea var. calcicola (Greenm.)
• Bidens odorata var. calcicola ((Greenm.) R.E.Ballard)
• Bidens pilosa f. alausensis (Sherff)
• Bidens pilosa f. bimucronata (Sherff)
• Bidens caracasana (DC.)
• Bidens pilosa f. ternata (Kuntze)
• Bidens pilosa f. dondiifolia (Sherff)
• Bidens bimucronata (Turcz.)
• Kerneria dubia (Cass.)
• Bidens pilosa f. umbrosa (Sherff)
• Kerneria pilosa ((L.) Lowe)
• Glossogyne chinensis (Less.)
• Bidens pilosa f. calcicola ((Sherff) Sherff)
• Coreopsis odorata (Lam.)
• Bidens tripartita subsp. hirta ((Jord.) Bonnier & Layens)
• Bidens decussata (Pav. ex Steud.)
• Kerneria tetragona (Moench)
• Bidens pilosa var. subbiternata (Kuntze)
• Bidens pilosa f. odorata (Sherff)
• Bidens pilosa f. discoidea (Sch.Bip.)
• Bidens pilosa f. triaristata (Sherff)
• Bidens pilosa var. brevifoliata (Hieron.)
• Bidens pilosa f. scandicina (Sherff)
• Bidens pilosa var. dubius (O.E.Schulz)
• Bidens valparadisiaca (Colla)
• Coreopsis corymbifolia (Buch.-Ham. ex DC.)
• Bidens pilosa var. discoidea (J.A.Schmidt)
• Ceratocephalus pilosus ((L.) Rich.)
• Bidens sundaica (Blume)
• Kerneria pilosa var. discoidea (Lowe)
• Bidens pilosa f. dissecta (Sherff)
• Bidens pilosa var. bimucronata (O.E.Schulz)
• Bidens orendainae (M.E.Jones)
• Bidens abadiae var. typica (Sherff)
• Bidens pilosa var. typica (Domin)
• Bidens ododrata (Cav.)
• Bidens pilosa f. subsimplicifolia (Kuntze)

Distribution

• Argentina Northeast (native)
• Argentina Northwest (native)
• Belize (native)
• Bolivia (native)
• Brazil South (native)
• Brazil Southeast (native)
• Colombia (native)
• Costa Rica (native)
• Cuba (native)
• Dominican Republic (native)
• Ecuador (native)
• El Salvador (native)
• French Guiana (native)
• Galápagos (native)
• Guatemala (native)
• Guyana (native)
• Haiti (native)
• Honduras (native)
• Jamaica (native)
• Juan Fernández Is. (native)
• Leeward Is. (native)
• Mexico Central (native)
• Mexico Gulf (native)
• Mexico Northeast (native)
• Mexico Northwest (native)
• Mexico Southeast (native)
• Mexico Southwest (native)
• Nicaragua (native)
• Panamá (native)
• Paraguay (native)
• Peru (native)
• Puerto Rico (native)
• Suriname (native)
• Texas (native)
• Trinidad-Tobago (native)
• Uruguay (native)
• Venezuela (native)
• Venezuelan Antilles (native)
• Windward Is. (native)
• Algeria (introduced)
• Angola (introduced)
• Assam (introduced)
• Azores (introduced)
• Baltic States (introduced)
• Bangladesh (introduced)
• Belgium (introduced)
• Benin (introduced)
• Botswana (introduced)
• Brazil North (introduced)
• Brazil Northeast (introduced)
• Brazil West-Central (introduced)
• Burkina (introduced)
• Cambodia (introduced)
• Cameroon (introduced)
• Canary Is. (introduced)
• Cape Provinces (introduced)
• Cape Verde (introduced)
• Caroline Is. (introduced)
• Central African Repu (introduced)
• Chad (introduced)
• Chagos Archipelago (introduced)
• China North-Central (introduced)
• China South-Central (introduced)
• China Southeast (introduced)
• Comoros (introduced)
• Congo (introduced)
• Cook Is. (introduced)
• Djibouti (introduced)
• East Aegean Is. (introduced)
• East Himalaya (introduced)
• Egypt (introduced)
• Eritrea (introduced)
• Ethiopia (introduced)
• Fiji (introduced)
• France (introduced)
• Free State (introduced)
• Gabon (introduced)
• Germany (introduced)
• Gilbert Is. (introduced)
• Great Britain (introduced)
• Greece (introduced)
• Gulf of Guinea Is. (introduced)
• Hainan (introduced)
• Hawaii (introduced)
• India (introduced)
• Italy (introduced)
• Ivory Coast (introduced)
• Japan (introduced)
• Jawa (introduced)
• Kermadec Is. (introduced)
• Korea (introduced)
• KwaZulu-Natal (introduced)
• Laccadive Is. (introduced)
• Laos (introduced)
• Lebanon-Syria (introduced)
• Lesotho (introduced)
• Libya (introduced)
• Line Is. (introduced)
• Madagascar (introduced)
• Madeira (introduced)
• Malaya (introduced)
• Maldives (introduced)
• Mali (introduced)
• Manchuria (introduced)
• Marianas (introduced)
• Marquesas (introduced)
• Marshall Is. (introduced)
• Maryland (introduced)
• Mauritania (introduced)
• Mauritius (introduced)
• Morocco (introduced)
• Mozambique (introduced)
• Myanmar (introduced)
• Namibia (introduced)
• Nansei-shoto (introduced)
• Nepal (introduced)
• New Caledonia (introduced)
• New Guinea (introduced)
• New Zealand North (introduced)
• Nicobar Is. (introduced)
• Nigeria (introduced)
• Niue (introduced)
• Norfolk Is. (introduced)
• North Carolina (introduced)
• Northern Provinces (introduced)
• Oman (introduced)
• Pakistan (introduced)
• Palestine (introduced)
• Philippines (introduced)
• Pitcairn Is. (introduced)
• Poland (introduced)
• Portugal (introduced)
• Primorye (introduced)
• Rodrigues (introduced)
• Réunion (introduced)
• Samoa (introduced)
• Saudi Arabia (introduced)
• Selvagens (introduced)
• Seychelles (introduced)
• Sicilia (introduced)
• Sinai (introduced)
• Society Is. (introduced)
• Socotra (introduced)
• South China Sea (introduced)
• Spain (introduced)
• Sri Lanka (introduced)
• Sudan (introduced)
• Swaziland (introduced)
• Taiwan (introduced)
• Thailand (introduced)
• Tibet (introduced)
• Togo (introduced)
• Tonga (introduced)
• Tuamotu (introduced)
• Tubuai Is. (introduced)
• Vietnam (introduced)
• West Himalaya (introduced)
• Wisconsin (introduced)
• Yemen (introduced)
• Yugoslavia (introduced)
• Zambia (introduced)
• Zaïre (introduced)
• Zimbabwe (introduced)

Additional Images

© copyright of the Board of Trustees of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.

© copyright of the Board of Trustees of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.

© copyright of the Board of Trustees of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.

Flower

Taken Jun 6, 2021 by Fernando da Luz Schmidt (cc-by-sa)

Taken Sep 23, 2017 by Mathieu Corrales (cc-by-sa)

Taken Feb 14, 2017 by Jah Row (cc-by-sa)

Taken Nov 20, 2017 by Max Wohl (cc-by-sa)

Taken Dec 31, 2017 by François Narboux (cc-by-sa)

Habit

Taken May 20, 2012 by Thomas Delhotal (cc-by-sa)

Taken Jul 26, 2021 by Maarten Vanhove (cc-by-sa)

Taken Dec 5, 2021 by Miguel A. C. (cc-by-sa)

Taken Dec 6, 2019 by Pereira Jorge (cc-by-sa)

Taken Mar 23, 2019 by Pierre Bonnet (cc-by-sa)

Leaf

Taken Jun 14, 2021 by Oliveira Vander (cc-by-sa)

Taken Sep 1, 2022 by Oliveira Vander (cc-by-sa)

Taken Feb 7, 2022 by Jean Burger (cc-by-sa)

Taken Dec 1, 2021 by Claire Lock (cc-by-sa)

Taken Jun 6, 2021 by Fernando da Luz Schmidt (cc-by-sa)

Fruit

Taken Jan 24, 2016 by Tela Botanica − Ans GORTER (cc-by-sa)

Taken Dec 12, 2020 by Sandra Recchione (cc-by-sa)

Taken Oct 22, 2021 by Daniel schefer (cc-by-sa)

Taken Dec 20, 2021 by Espinoza-Zevallos Marco Elías (cc-by-sa)

Taken Feb 2, 2022 by Montaña herman (cc-by-sa)

Bark

Taken Nov 30, 2012 by P. Bonnet (cc-by-sa)

Taken Nov 30, 2012 by P. Bonnet (cc-by-sa)

Taken Dec 22, 2021 by Andre Jorge (cc-by-sa)

Taken Nov 30, 2012 by J. Champ (cc-by-sa)

Taken Oct 7, 2021 by Antonio victor (cc-by-sa)

Other

Taken Feb 18, 2017 by Yoan MARTIN (cc-by-sa)

Taken Feb 18, 2017 by Yoan MARTIN (cc-by-sa)

Taken Feb 18, 2017 by Yoan MARTIN (cc-by-sa)

Taken Nov 10, 2022 by bouhenache abderrahim (cc-by-sa)

Taken Sep 23, 2012 by Tela Botanica − Liliane Roubaudi (cc-by-sa)

Sources

• WFO (No URL)
• IPNI (No URL)
• GBIF (https://www.gbif.org/species/5391845)
• POWO (http://powo.science.kew.org/taxon/urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:32564-2)
• PlantNet (https://identify.plantnet.org/species/the-plant-list/Bidens pilosa L.)

Specifications

Growth