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bident poilu, cobbler's pegs, common beggar-ticks, hairy beggar-ticks, Spanish needle

bident vulgaire, big devils beggartick, tall beggar-ticks, tall beggars-ticks, western sticktight

Habit Annuals [perennials], (10–)30–60(–180+)[–250] cm. Annuals, (15–)30–50(–150) cm.
Leaves

petioles 10–30(–70) mm;

blades either ovate to lanceolate, 30–70(–120) × 12–18(–45) mm, or 1-pinnately lobed, primary lobes 3–7, ovate to lanceolate [linear], (10–)25–80+ × (5–)10–40+ mm [blades 2(–3)-pinnatisect], bases truncate to cuneate, ultimate margins serrate or entire, usually ciliate, apices acute to attenuate, faces pilosulous to sparsely hirtellous or glabrate.

petioles 10–50 mm;

blades ± deltate to ovate overall, 50–100(–150+) × (15–)30–80(–120+) mm, usually laciniately 1-pinnatisect or 3–5-foliolate, primary lobes or leaflets ± lanceolate, 20–80(–120) × 10–25(–40+) mm, blades rarely 2–3-pinnatisect, bases cuneate, ultimate margins dentate to serrate, little, if at all, ciliate, apices acute to attenuate, faces glabrous or ± hispidulous.

Peduncles

10–20(–90) mm.

(10–)40–150+ mm.

Involucres

turbinate to campanulate, 5–6 × (6–)7–8 mm.

hemispheric or broader, 5–6 × 8–10 mm.

Ray florets

0 or (3–)5–8+;

laminae whitish to pinkish [yellowish], 2–3 or 7–15+ mm.

0 or 3–5+;

laminae pale yellow, 2.5–3.5 mm.

Disc florets

20–40(–80+);

corollas yellowish, (2–)3–5 mm.

40–60(–150+);

corollas yellow, 2.5–3.5 mm.

Phyllaries

(7–)8–9(–13), lanceolate to oblanceolate, 4–6 mm.

10–12, ovate to lanceolate, 6–9 mm.

Calyculi

(6–)7–9(–13) ± appressed, spatulate to linear bractlets (3–)4–5 mm, margins ciliate, abaxial faces usually hispidulous to puberulent.

of 10–16(–21) ascending to spreading, spatulate to linear, seldom foliaceous bractlets or bracts 10–20(–40) mm, margins usually hispid-ciliate, abaxial faces ± hispidulous.

Heads

usually borne singly, sometimes in open, ± corymbiform arrays.

borne singly or in 2s or 3s or in open, corymbiform arrays, erect.

Cypselae

outer red-brown, ± flat, linear to narrowly cuneate, (3–)4–5+ mm, margins antrorsely hispidulous, apices ± truncate or somewhat attenuate, faces obscurely 2-grooved, sometimes tuberculate-hispidulous;

inner blackish, ± equally 4-angled, linear-fusiform, 7–16 mm, margins antrorsely hispidulous, apices ± attenuate, faces 2-grooved, tuberculate-hispidulous to sparsely strigillose;

pappi 0, or of 2–3(–5), erect to divergent, retrorsely barbed awns (0.5–)2–4 mm.

purplish, brown, olive, or stramineous, ± flattened, obovate to cuneate, outer 6–10 mm, inner 8–12 mm, margins (sometime ± winged) proximally antrorsely, distally retrorsely barbed, apices ± truncate, faces obscurely 1-nerved, sometimes tuberculate, glabrous or sparsely strigillose;

pappi of 2 erect to divergent, retrorsely barbed awns 3–4(–7) mm.

2n

= 24, 36, 48, 72.

= 24, 48.

Bidens pilosa

Bidens vulgata

Phenology Flowering year round. Flowering Aug–Sep(–Oct).
Habitat Disturbed, wettish sites Ditches, shores of lakes and streams, swamps, marshes, moist woods, roadsides, railroads, fields, waste areas
Elevation 10–1900 m (0–6200 ft) 10–1000 m (0–3300 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
AL; AZ; CA; CT; FL; GA; KY; LA; MA; MD; MO; MS; NC; NM; PA; SC; TX; ON; QC; Mexico; Central America [Introduced, Europe]
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
AR; CA; CO; CT; DC; DE; GA; IA; ID; IL; IN; KS; KY; MA; MD; ME; MI; MN; MO; MS; MT; NC; ND; NE; NH; NJ; NV; NY; OH; OK; OR; PA; RI; SC; SD; TN; VA; VT; WA; WI; WV; WY; AB; BC; MB; NB; NS; ON; QC; SK [Introduced in Europe]
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

R. Ballard (1986) adopted a narrower circumscription of Bidens pilosa than that used here. He used: B. pilosa for plants with outer phyllaries 7–10, ray florets usually 0 (when present, laminae 2–3 mm), disc florets 35–75, pappi of 3(–5) awns 1–3 mm, and 2n = 72; B. alba for plants with outer phyllaries (8–)12(–16), ray florets 5–8 (laminae 5–16 mm), pappi of 2 awns 1–2 mm, and 2n = 48; and B. odorata for plants with outer phyllaries (6–)8(–12), ray florets 5–8 (laminae 3–18 mm), disc florets 12–61, pappi 0, or of 1–2 awns 1–3 mm, and 2n = 24.

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

Bidens vulgata is similar to B. frondosa; it is more robust. Both are phenotypically plastic. Locally, B. vulgata often matures earlier than B. frondosa.

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

Source FNA vol. 21, p. 211. FNA vol. 21, p. 212.
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. connata, B. discoidea, B. eatonii, B. frondosa, B. heterodoxa, B. heterosperma, B. hyperborea, B. laevis, B. lemmonii, B. leptocephala, B. mitis, 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. laevis, B. lemmonii, B. leptocephala, B. mitis, B. pilosa, B. polylepis, B. tenuisecta, B. trichosperma, B. tripartita
Synonyms B. alba, B. alba var. radiata, B. odorata, B. pilosa var. radiata B. frondosa var. puberula, B. puberula, B. vulgata var. dissectior, B. vulgata var. puberula, B. vulgata var. schizantha
Name authority Linnaeus: Sp. Pl. 2: 832. (1753) Greene: Pittonia 4: 72. (1899)
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