Wetland Plants and Plant Communities of Minnesota and Wisconsin

BEGGARTICK

(Bidens cernua L.)

ASTER FAMILY (Compositae or Asteraceae)

IND. STATUS: OBL

FIELD CHARACTERISTICS: An annual herb growing to 1-10 dm. in height Leaves are opposite, simple, sessile, and serrate to somewhat serrate. Flower heads are erect, but then become nodding with age. The flower disc is 12-25 mm. wide. Rays, if present, are yellow and up to 1.5 cm. long. Nutlets are smooth, curved, 5-8 mm. long and have 4 (rarely 2) barbed awns (Figure 38). In flower from August to October.

Figure 38 - Nutlets of Some Common Bidens

ECOLOGICAL NOTES: Beggarticks are found in fresh (wet) meadows, shallow marshes, along shores, and in areas of disturbed, wet soils.

Another name for beggarticks is stick-tights. Walking through a stand of these plants in late summer or autumn results in numerous barbed nutlets adhering to clothing.

SOURCE: Fernald (1970); and Gleason and Cronquist (1991).

Previous Section -- Blunt Spike-rush (Eleocharis obtusa (Willd.) Schult.)
Return to Contents
Next Section -- Appendix A