The green links below add additional plants to the comparison table. Blue links lead to other Web sites.
enable glossary links

bident conné, purple-stem beggar-ticks, purplestem beggars-ticks, swamp beggar-ticks

bur-marigold, smooth beggar-ticks, smooth beggartick

Habit Annuals, (5–)25–150(–200) cm. Annuals (sometimes persisting), (10–)20–60(–120+) cm.
Leaves

sessile or petioles (± winged) 5–15(–35+) mm;

blades ± elliptic to lanceolate, (20–)40–100(–200+) × 10–30(–70) mm, sometimes laciniately 1-pinnatisect with 1–4+ lobes near bases, bases cuneate, margins entire or dentate to serrate, usually ciliate, apices attenuate, faces glabrous or hirtellous.

(sometimes in 3s or 4s) sessile;

blades obovate or elliptic to lanceolate or linear, (20–)50–100(–160+) × (5–)10–25(–40+) mm, bases cuneate to rounded, margins usually coarsely dentate to serrate, sometimes ciliate, apices acute to acuminate, faces glabrous.

Peduncles

10–35(–80) mm.

(10–)20–60 mm.

Involucres

campanulate to hemispheric or broader, (4–)6–12 × (3–)6–9(–15+) mm.

turbinate to hemispheric or broader, (4–)6–8(–10+) × 8–12+ mm.

Ray florets

usually 0, sometimes 1–5+;

laminae yellowish, 4–8 mm.

usually 7–8, rarely 0;

laminae orange-yellow, (10–)15–25(–30) mm.

Disc florets

(5–)20–40(–60+);

corollas pale yellow to orange, 2–3 mm (± abruptly ampliate, anthers usually dark, blackish).

(25–)60–100(–150+);

corollas yellow to orange-yellow, 3–6.5 mm.

Phyllaries

(6–)8(–9), elliptic to oblong or ovate, (4–)5–6(–12) mm.

8–12, ovate or obovate to lance-oblong, (4–)6–8(–10+) mm (tips often orange to purplish, as are tips of paleae).

Calyculi

of 2–6+ spreading or ascending, lanceolate, linear, oblanceolate, oblong, or spatulate, ± foliaceous bractlets or bracts 10–25(–35+) mm, margins (entire or serrate) usually ciliate, abaxial faces hispidulous near bases, distally glabrous.

of 5–7(–9+) erect or spreading to reflexed, oblanceolate or lanceolate to linear, often foliaceous bractlets or bracts (6–)10–12(–20+) mm, margins usually ciliate, abaxial faces glabrous or bases hispidulous.

Heads

borne singly or in 2s or 3s.

(erect at flowering, sometimes nodding in fruit) borne singly or in open, ± corymbiform arrays.

Cypselae

blackish to purplish or brown, usually (at least inner) ± 4-angled, usually cuneate to linear, sometimes ± obpyramidal, outer (3–)4–7 mm, inner (4–)5–8 mm, margins proximally antrorsely to patently, distally retrorsely, barbed, apices ± truncate to concave, faces usually strongly 1-nerved, usually tuberculate, glabrous or setulose;

pappi 0, or of (1–)2–4(–6), ± erect to spreading, antrorsely or retrorsely barbed awns (0.2–)2–5 mm.

blackish, red-brown, or stramineous, obcompressed, flattened or unequally 3–4-angled, ± cuneate, outer 6–8 mm, inner 8–10 mm, margins retrorsely ciliate or barbed, apices ± truncate to convex, faces ± 1-nerved, ± striate, glabrous;

pappi of 2–4 ± erect, retrorsely barbed awns 3–5 mm.

2n

= 48.

= 22, 24.

Bidens connata

Bidens laevis

Phenology Flowering Aug–Oct. Flowering Aug–Oct(–Dec).
Habitat Marshes and other wet sites Meadows, marshes, and margins of pools, streams, estuaries
Elevation 10–1700 m (0–5600 ft) 0–2800 m (0–9200 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
CT; DE; GA; IA; IL; IN; KS; KY; MA; MD; ME; MI; MN; MO; MT; NC; ND; NE; NH; NJ; NY; OH; PA; RI; SC; SD; TN; VA; WI; WV; NB; NF; NS; ON; PE; QC; Europe; Asia; n Africa [Introduced in Pacific Islands, Australia]
[WildflowerSearch map]
from FNA
AL; AR; AZ; CA; CO; CT; DC; DE; FL; GA; IN; KY; LA; MA; MD; ME; MO; MS; NC; NH; NJ; NM; NV; NY; OH; PA; RI; SC; TN; TX; VA; WV; Mexico; Central America; South America [Introduced Pacific Islands (Hawaii)]
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Bidens connata may be better treated as part of B. tripartita.

(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)

Bidens laevis and B. cernua are similar in gross appearance; specimens of one are sometimes misidentified as the other. Perhaps they represent extremes of a single species.

(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)

Source FNA vol. 21, p. 217. FNA vol. 21, p. 215.
Parent taxa Asteraceae > tribe Heliantheae > subtribe Coreopsidinae > Bidens Asteraceae > tribe Heliantheae > subtribe Coreopsidinae > Bidens
Sibling taxa
B. amplissima, B. aristosa, B. aurea, B. beckii, B. bidentoides, B. bigelovii, B. bipinnata, B. cernua, B. discoidea, B. eatonii, B. frondosa, B. heterodoxa, B. heterosperma, B. hyperborea, B. laevis, B. lemmonii, B. leptocephala, B. mitis, B. pilosa, B. polylepis, B. tenuisecta, B. trichosperma, B. tripartita, B. vulgata
B. amplissima, B. aristosa, B. aurea, B. beckii, B. bidentoides, B. bigelovii, B. bipinnata, B. cernua, B. connata, B. discoidea, B. eatonii, B. frondosa, B. heterodoxa, B. heterosperma, B. hyperborea, B. lemmonii, B. leptocephala, B. mitis, B. pilosa, B. polylepis, B. tenuisecta, B. trichosperma, B. tripartita, B. vulgata
Synonyms B. connata var. ambiversa, B. connata var. anomala, B. connata var. fallax, B. connata var. gracilipes, B. connata var. inundata, B. connata var. petiolata, B. connata var. pinnata, B. connata var. submutica Helianthus laevis, B. chrysanthemoides, B. helianthoides, B. nashii, B. quadriaristata
Name authority Muhlenberg ex Willdenow: Sp. Pl. 3: 1718. (1803) (Linnaeus) Britton: Prelim. Cat., 29. (1888)
Web links