bearded beggarticks
Family
FabaceaeScientific Name
Bidens aristosaOther Common Names:
beggar ticks
Synonyms (former Scientific Names):
Bidens polyepis var. retrorsa
Bidens involucrata
Bidens aristosa var. mutica
Bidens aristosa var fritcheyi
Bidens polyepis
Bidens aristosa var. retrorsa
Habit
forb/herb
Leaves
The alternate leaves are pinnately or
bipinnately dissected, with each segment lanceolate
and toothed or lobed on the margin.
Identifying Characteristics
Bur marigold is an upright annual herb (1-5 feet tall)
with a tap root.Bur marigold grows and flowers best in full sun, but
is also adapted to partial shade. Plants are often
found growing in open shade along the edge of a
woodland. It is adapted to most soil types, except for
very sandy soils. Natural stands are generally found
on moist sites such as in ditches, marshes, and wet
meadows.
Flower Seed Head
Plants produce numerous solitary flower heads held on long stalks
from September to October; each head is 1-2 inches
across and bright yellow with a yellow center.
Seed Fruit
Seeds are dark brown, flattened, and have two prongs that
project from one end.
Where Found
Bur marigold is distributed throughout the eastern
and midwest United States.
Growth Habit
upright and nonwoody
Thorns or Spines
not present
Approximate Flower Diameter
Varies:
pencil,
dime
Dominant Flower Color
yellow
Flower Symmetry
Varies:
radial symmetery,
bilateral symmetry
Leaf Hairs
has hairs
Leaf Shape
lance
Leaf Arrangement
alternate
Leaf Margin
Varies:
lobed,
serrated
Leaf Structure
palmate
Leaf Stalk
shorter than leaf
Stem Hairs
has hairs
Stem Cross Section
round or oval
Milky Sap
not present
Root Structure
taproot
Life Cycle
summer annual
Ochrea
not present
Plant Type
Herb