Bidens vulgata
Encyclopedia
Bidens vulgata is a species of flowering plant in the daisy family
known by the common name big devils beggartick. It is native to eastern North America, where it is a plant of wetland
s. It is an introduced species
in much of western North America as well as parts of Europe. This is an annual herb producing a hairy stem which generally grows 30 to 50 centimeters tall but often grows much taller, exceeding one meter. The leaves are made up of several lance-shaped leaflets each up to 8 centimeters long. The inflorescence
produces small flower heads
with centers of yellow disc florets and a fringe of 3 to 5 yellow ray florets a few millimeters in length. Some heads lack ray florets. The fruit is a flattened achene
with two sharp barbs at one end.
Asteraceae
The Asteraceae or Compositae , is an exceedingly large and widespread family of vascular plants. The group has more than 22,750 currently accepted species, spread across 1620 genera and 12 subfamilies...
known by the common name big devils beggartick. It is native to eastern North America, where it is a plant of wetland
Wetland
A wetland is an area of land whose soil is saturated with water either permanently or seasonally. Wetlands are categorised by their characteristic vegetation, which is adapted to these unique soil conditions....
s. It is an introduced species
Introduced species
An introduced species — or neozoon, alien, exotic, non-indigenous, or non-native species, or simply an introduction, is a species living outside its indigenous or native distributional range, and has arrived in an ecosystem or plant community by human activity, either deliberate or accidental...
in much of western North America as well as parts of Europe. This is an annual herb producing a hairy stem which generally grows 30 to 50 centimeters tall but often grows much taller, exceeding one meter. The leaves are made up of several lance-shaped leaflets each up to 8 centimeters long. The inflorescence
Inflorescence
An inflorescence is a group or cluster of flowers arranged on a stem that is composed of a main branch or a complicated arrangement of branches. Strictly, it is the part of the shoot of seed plants where flowers are formed and which is accordingly modified...
produces small flower heads
Head (botany)
The capitulum is considered the most derived form of inflorescence. Flower heads found outside Asteraceae show lesser degrees of specialization....
with centers of yellow disc florets and a fringe of 3 to 5 yellow ray florets a few millimeters in length. Some heads lack ray florets. The fruit is a flattened achene
Achene
An achene is a type of simple dry fruit produced by many species of flowering plants. Achenes are monocarpellate and indehiscent...
with two sharp barbs at one end.