Three-Parted Beggarticks, Three-Lobed Beggarticks, Threelobe Beggarticks, Burr Marigold, Swamp Beggarticks

Bidens tripartita

BY-denz  try-par-TEE-uh

Synonyms of Bidens tripartita (34) (Updated on 11-30-23 from Plants of the World Online): Bidens acuta Britton (1901), Bidens bullata L. (1753), Bidens cannabina Lam. (1779), Bidens comosa (A.Gray) Wiegand (1897), Bidens comosa var. acuta Jeps. (1899), Bidens connata var. comosa A.Gray (1867), Bidens effusa Thuill. ex Sherff (1937)(pro syn.), Bidens fastigiata Michalet (1854), Bidens frondosa Buch.-Ham. ex Hook.f. (1881)(sensu auct.), Bidens hybrida Thuill. (1799),Bidens intermedia Opiz ex Nyman (1879), Bidens minor (Wimm. & Grab.) Vorosch. (1949), Bidens minuscula Leveille Vaniot (1910), Bidens nodiflora L. (1753), Bidens nudiflora Steud. (1840)(orth. var.), Bidens orientalis Velen. ex Bornm. (1888), Bidens platycephala Oerst. (1859), Bidens pumila Steud. (1821), Bidens repens D.Don (1825), Bidens shimadae Hayata (1919), Bidens trifida Roxb. (1832), Bidens trifoliata Gueldenst. ex Ledeb. (1845), Bidens tripartita subsp. bullata (L.) Rouy (1903), Bidens tripartita var. cernuifolia Sherff (1929), Bidens tripartita subsp. comosa (A.Gray) A.Haines (2010), Bidens tripartita var. hybrida (Thuill.) Mérat (1812), Bidens tripartita var. minima Huds. (1778), Bidens tripartita var. minor Hartm. (1820), Bidens tripartita var. minor Hartm. (1820), Bidens tripartita var. orientalis (Velen.) Stoj. & Stef. (1925), Bidens tripartita var. pumila Roth (1788), Bidens tripartita var. repens (D.Don) Sherff (1926), Bidens tripartita var. shimadae (Hayata) Yamam. (1936)

Bidens tripartita L. is the accepted scientific name for this species of Beggarticks. The genus and species were both named and described as such by Carl von Linnaeus in the second volume of the first edition of Species Plantarum in 1753.

As of 11-30-23 when this page was last updated, Plants of the World Online lists 222 species in the Bidens genus. It is a member of the plant family Asteraceae with 1,702 genera. Those numbers could change as updates are made on POWO.

 The above distribution map for Bidens tripartita is from Plants of the World Online. Areas in green are where the species is native and green where it has been introduced. The map on the USDA Plants Database for the United States and Canada is somewhat different for Canada.

The map on iNaturalist shows where members have made observations. Anyone can join and it is a great website to confirm and share your observations. The maps on iNaturalist are continually updated as members post new observations.

THERE ARE SEVERAL LINKS AT THE BOTTOM OF THE PAGE FOR FURTHER READING AND TO HELP WITH A POSITIVE ID.

So, this plant started growing in the northeast corner flower bed in 2022 and I had no idea what it was. I took several photos and uploaded them to iNaturalist and the top suggestion was Bidens frondosa. Here on the farm, the other species that is similar was the Bidens connata (Purple-Stemmed Beggarticks) I found near the pond in the back pasture in 2019. The other two species of Bidens here are B. aristosa (Tickseed Sunflower) and B. bipinnata (Spanish Needles). As the plant grew, I did further research and found out the species was actually Bidens tripartita.

It may sound a little strange to let one of “those” beggarticks grow in the flower bed, but I needed photos for this site. 🙂 Besides, I thought, I could always pull it up when it starts going to seed…

There are a few more photos at the bottom of the page…

The preferred common name appears to be Three-Parted Beggarticks which has nothing to do with its nice dark green leaves. Other common names include Three-Lobed Beggarticks, Threelobe Beggarticks, Burr Marigold, Swamp Beggarticks, and probably others. When I walk through an area with beggarticks or any kind of stick-tight, I use a different name which is likely very common from the lips of many…

The plant grew and grew but I didn’t see any flowers until September!

I have still not figured out where the “three” comes in… Any guesses?

Bidens tripartita has quite a range especially throughout the Northern Hemisphere. This is the third species of Bidens I have positively identified on the farm. There is a fourth, Bidens connata, but I haven’t seen it since 2019 and there are a few features I need to check out before I am positive. As with other Bidens species, this one prefers moist soil but it can also be drought tolerant if necessary. Information online says they can be found along streambanks, pond margins, bottomland forests, etc. I might also add flowerbeds… 

The above photo shows an odd leaf with a leaflet? Leaves are mostly simple, but if you look around… Plus this one has a visitor.

Bidens tripartita is a robust plant that can grow to around 3’ tall in ideal conditions. Plants branch out from the leaf nodes along the stems. They are multi branched with stems being green or greenish yellow. The plant here had purplish color around the nodes and a few of the stems. The stems are glabrous (not hairy). Other websites indicate the stems can also be finely hairy… 

The dark green leaves grow alternately along the stems. They are lanceolate to elliptic in outline and normally have sharp teeth along the margins, but some descriptions indicate they can be toothless.

The leaves taper to a sharp tip, and the base tapers to a long winged petiole (leaf stem). The petiole reminds me of a gutter.

Some of the leaves may be lobed, and some may be bi-foliate or trifoliate having 2 or 3 leaflets rather than just a single leaf. These “extra” leaflets are sessile (no petioles). You have to look for the odd-balls. 

The above photo was one that led me to think perhaps this plant was a Bidens frondosa, even though there were other indications that said differently.

The undersides of the leaves show a prominent midrib and veins.

The stems terminate in single heads of flowers or they may be in loose clusters of a few heads. Umm… Those flowers are from several different stems.

The flower heads are attached to the stem by long peduncles, or pedicles, sometimes I get the two confused… Anyway, the flower stem…

The heads, which is what the flowers are called in the  plant family Asteraceae, are surrounded by an involucre consisting of 4-9 green loosely arranged leafy bracts up to 35 mm long, normally with smooth margins but can be finely toothed, linear to oblanceolate in shape, smooth to finely hairy… The 7-8 inner bracts are usually yellow, up to 12 mm long, narrowly ovate to ovate in shape and are glabrous (hairless. Then there are a few narrowly lanceolate chaffy bracts that may be purplish-tinged at the tips… Ummm… Colors may vary…

Involucre… The definition is a whorl or rosette of bracts surrounding an inflorescence (especially capitulum) or at the base of an umbel… Some sites use the term phyllary instead of involucre, and phyllaries rather than involucral bracts.

Each flower, or head, consists of 1-5 ray florets, or quite commonly they are absent (discoid). Individual flowerheads are about 1/2-3/4” across and consist of 1-5 sterile yellow ray florets (petals, corollas) or quite commonly absent (discoid) that are short and stubby. There are 20-40 disc (or disk) florets which are known as perfect flowers because they contain both male and female parts.

Each disc florets has an ovary topped by a funnel-shaped corolla tube (orange) that is usually 4-lobed, spreading to erect, surrounded by barbed bristles called a pappus with 3-4 teeth (awns) that are erect to spreading during fruiting. From the corolla tube emerge the stigma and style. The male parts are close to the base of the corolla tube of the female flower and consist of 5 reddish stamens, pale yellow filaments, and purplish-brown anthers that are united around the style. There are a couple of close-ups farther down under the links. If I get to close, the photos are blurry…

Flower are replaced by 3-11 mm long seeds, called achenes, with 3-4 awns at the tips (which are persistent awns from the female flower) with barbs… As you can see in the above photo, the seeds have three awns… Hmmm… Maybe that’s where the “three” comes from…

Several Bidens tripartita came up in the flower bed again in 2023, but I pulled them up. I would really like some better close-ups of the flowers, so if they come up again in 2024, I “might” let one grow. Maybe I should transplant a few somewhere else.

Some day I will get a more powerful camera to take close-ups without a magnifying glass (sometimes two).

I hope you found this page useful and be sure to check the links below for more information. They were written by experts and provide much more information. Some sites may not be up-to-date but they are always a work in progress. If you can, I would appreciate it if you would click on the “Like” below and leave a comment. It helps us bloggers stay motivated. You can also send an email to me at thebelmontrooster@yahoo.com. I would enjoy hearing from you especially if you notice something is a bit whacky.

FOR FURTHER READING:
PLANTS OF THE WORLD ONLINE (GENUS/SPECIES)
INTERNATIONAL PLANT NAMES INDEX (GENUS/SPECIES)
TROPICOS (GENUS/SPECIES)
FLORA OF MISSOURI (GENUS/SPECIES)
FLORA OF NORTH AMERICA (GENUS/SPECIES)
WORLD FLORA ONLINE (GENUS/SPECIES)
WIKIPEDIA (GENUS/SPECIES)
USDA PLANTS DATABASE
DAVE’S GARDEN
MISSOURI PLANTS
MSU-MIDWEST WEEDS AND WILDFLOWERS
iNATURALIST
WILDFLOWER SEARCH
MINNESOTA WILDFLOWERS
PFAF (PLANTS FOR A FUTURE)
GO BOTANY
LADY BIRD JOHNSON WILDFLOWER CENTER
OREGON FLORA
MARYLAND BIODIVERSITY PROJECT
SIBERIAN CEDAR LAND
USEFUL TEMPERATE PLANTS

NOTE: The data (figures, maps, accepted names, etc.) may not match on these websites. It depends on when and how they make updates and when their sources make updates. Some websites have hundreds and even many thousands of species to keep up with. Accepted scientific names change periodically and it can be hard to keep with as well. Some of the links may use a name that is a synonym on other sites. In my opinion, Plants of the World Online by Kew is one of the most reliable and up-to-date plant databases and they make updates regularly. I make updates “at least” once a year and when I write new pages or add new photos but I do get behind. We are all a work in progress. 🙂

A FEW MORE PHOTOS…

By September 11 (2022), there were a few flowers. Now we are getting somewhere!