Bearded beggarticks facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Bearded beggarticks |
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| Scientific classification | |
| Genus: |
Bidens
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| Species: |
aristosa
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Bidens aristosa is a plant from North America that belongs to the sunflower family. It has many common names, like bearded beggarticks, western tickseed, long-bracted beggarticks, tickseed beggarticks, swamp marigold, and Yankee lice. This plant naturally grows in the eastern and central United States and south-central Canada. You can find it from Maine down to Florida and west to places like Ontario, Texas, and Nebraska.
What is Bidens aristosa?
Bidens aristosa is an annual herb. This means it grows from a seed, flowers, produces new seeds, and then dies all within one year. It can grow quite tall, sometimes reaching up to 150 centimeters (about 5 feet) high!
Its Flowers
This plant has many bright yellow flower heads. These aren't just one flower, but a group of many tiny flowers packed together. Each flower head has two main parts:
- Ray florets: These are the petal-like parts that stick out from the center, making the flower look like a daisy or a sunflower.
- Disc florets: These are the small, tightly packed flowers in the center of the flower head.
How It Spreads Its Seeds
After the flowers bloom, Bidens aristosa produces dry fruits called achenes. These achenes are special because they have tiny, stiff barbs on them. These barbs are like little hooks! When an animal walks by, or a person brushes past the plant, the seeds can easily get caught in their fur or clothing. This clever trick helps the plant spread its seeds to new places, allowing more Bidens aristosa plants to grow.
