Bidens frondosa
Copyright, Dan Tenaglia, Missouriplants.com
Devil's Beggar-tick is one of
several species of beggar-tick, plants with seeds that
"hitch a ride" on animals and clothing. Devil's Beggar-tick grows to three
and a half feet tall. Its leaves are dull green with
teeth
on the edges. The flower of this plant is
yellowish-orange and about one inch wide. It blooms from
August to October. Devil's Beggar-tick grows in
marshes,
fields, roadsides, ditches, streambanks, waste places, and
pond edges. This plant is an annual,
which means it only lives for one year and dies when cold
weather arrives. Copyright, Dan Tenaglia,
Missouriplants.com Nomura Masato Nomura Masato Devil's Beggar-tick is best known
for its fruit
and seeds.
After flowers have been pollinated,
the brown fruits form, which are dry and fall apart
easily. Each fruit is loaded with tiny flat
seeds. Each seed has two barbs (like a fishhook) which will
catch on anything soft that brushes against it. Most often
seeds grab onto animal fur or a person's clothing. Because
of the plant's height, people usually end up picking seeds,
sometimes called "hitchhikers," from their socks. This method of seed
dispersal
(way of spreading seeds) allows Devil's Beggar-tick to
travel far and grow in new places. Seeds are also eaten by ducks and
other birds. Plants are eaten by Muskrats. The leaves of this plant somewhat
resemble Poison Ivy, because they grow in groups of three
leaflets.
You can tell them apart, because Devil's Beggar-tick has
narrower leaflets than Poison Ivy, as well as sharper
teeth. Copyright, Dan Tenaglia,
Missouriplants.com
