beggarticks

Beggarticks are flowering plants in the genus Bidens, in the family Asteraceae. The name refers to several species commonly called beggar-ticks or stick-tights because their seeds are equipped with barbed appendages that readily cling to clothing, fur, or feathers, aiding dispersal. Most Bidens species are annual or perennial herbs or subshrubs, with opposite leaves that are often serrated and may be simple or divided.

The inflorescences are small heads consisting of yellow disk florets and, in many species, a few tiny ray florets that can be yellow, white, or absent. Flowering occurs from summer into autumn. The fruit is an achene bearing one or two long, barbed awns, which snag on passing animals or people, producing effective passive dispersal.

Habitat and ecology: Beggarticks prefer moist soils and are commonly found in wetlands, along streams and ditches, and at field margins. They can behave as weeds in cultivated land and disturbed sites but generally do not aggressively invade dry, inland habitats. They are insect-pollinated, attracting bees and other wide-ranging pollinators, and rely on animal-mediated seed dispersal for spread.

Example species: Bidens frondosa (common beggar-ticks or devil’s beggarticks) is widespread in North America. Bidens cernua (nodding beggar-ticks) commonly grows in wetlands. Bidens alba (white beggar-ticks) occurs in warmer regions, and Bidens tripartita (three-lobed beggar-ticks) is a common wetland species.

Taxonomy and name: The genus name Bidens derives from Latin bi- “two” and dens “tooth,” referring to paired features in some species. Beggarticks are recognized chiefly for their seed attachment mechanism and their affinity for moist habitats.