Species Factsheets

Bidens laevis

Smooth Beggar-ticks

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State Status: Pennsylvania Endangered (PE)
PBS Status: Pennsylvania Endangered (PE)
Federal Status:

Global Rank: G5 rank interpretation
State Rank: S1

Did You Know?

The young leaves of this species are edible.

Summary

Description

Smooth beggar-ticks (Bidens laevis) is an annual or perennial herb with a hairless stem that may grow to 1m in height. The leaves are oppositely arranged, without an obvious stalk at the base, linear to lance-shaped, 4-15cm in length and up to 4cm in width, hairless on both surfaces, and toothed on the margin. The flowers, appearing from August to October, have conspicuous yellow ray flowers that are 1.5-3cm in length. The individual fruits have slender barbed projections that aid in dispersal.

Rank Justification

Critically imperiled in the nation or state because of extreme rarity (often 5 or fewer occurrences) or because of some factor(s) such as very steep declines making it especially vulnerable to extirpation from the state.

PABS

The PA Biological Survey (PABS) has assigned smooth beggar-ticks a rarity status of Endangered.

Habitat Range

Habitat

Smooth beggar-ticks grows in marshes, swamps, and on shorelines.

Survey Dates

Flowers August - October

Distribution

In Pennsylvania, it has been documented historically in several southeastern and northwestern counties.

Conservation

Threats

The general habitat of this species has threats from exotic species and draining and filling.

Conservation Status Map

Smooth

NatureServe. 2017. NatureServe Explorer: An online encyclopedia of life [web application]. Version 7.1. NatureServe, Arlington, Virginia. Available https://explorer.natureserve.org.

Reference

http://gobotany.newenglandwild.org/species/bidens/laevis/

NatureServe. 2018. NatureServe Explorer: An online encyclopedia of life [web application]. Version 7.1. NatureServe, Arlington, Virginia. Available at https://www.natureserve.org/explorer
Pennsylvania Natural Heritage Program. 2018.
Rhoads, A.F. and W.M. Klein, Jr. 1993. The Vascular Flora of Pennsylvania. American Philosophical Society, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Rhoads, A.F. and T.A. Block.
2007. The Plants of Pennsylvania: An Illustrated Manual. 2nd edition. University of Pennsylvania Press, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.