Bur marigold, Yellow-flowered blackjack
Bidens biternata

Family: Asteraceae

What it is like

A small erect annual herb. It grows about 1 m high. It is branched. The stems are angular with furrows and some hairs. The stems are tough. The leaves are opposite with one or two pairs of leaflets and one at the edge. The leaflets at the base are lobed and have rounded teeth. They are hairy on both sides. They are yellowish green and lighter underneath. They are 2-7 cm long by 1-4 cm wide. The flowers are at the top of the plant. The flowers are in disk like heads. The flowers are yellow. The fruit has 3 or 4 bristles at the end.

There are about 200 Bidens species. Most are in North America.

Where it is found

A tropical plant. It grows in coastal locations. In southern Africa it grows between 950-1,300 m above sea level. It can grow in arid places. It occurs from Luzon to Mindanao in the Philippines. In Java it grows up to 1,250 m above sea level. It grows in fertile and well-drained soils. In Yunnan.

Countries/locations it is found in

Africa, Asia, Australia, Botswana, Burkina Faso, China, East Africa, Eswatini, Himalayas, India, Indonesia, Korea, Lesotho, Mozambique, Myanmar, Namibia, Nepal, Northeastern India, Pacific, Philippines, SE Asia, South Africa, Southern Africa, Swaziland, Taiwan, West Africa, Zambia, Zimbabwe

How it is used for food

The young leaves are cooked and eaten as a vegetable. The seeds are mixed with half boiled rice in the making of rice wine. The young leaves are eaten as a relish either raw or steamed.

Edible parts

Leaves, seeds

How it is grown

Its other names

Local names

Alanchappu, Angguat, Djrongan besar, Harega, Hlan-kwa, Ketool, Kuro, Tagaeum nyenyam, Tjing lontkingan, Uthransoppu

Synonyms

Actinea biternata (Lour.) Spreng.; Bidens abyssinica Sch.Bip.; Bidens abyssinica var. glabrata Vatke; Bidens biternata var. (several); Bidens chinensis (Linn.) Willd.; Bidens cylindrica Sherff; Bidens cylindrica Sherff; Bidens kotschyi Sch.Bip.; Bidens lasiocarpa O. E. Schulz; Bidens peduncularis Gaudich.; Bidens pilosa var. (several); Bidens quadriseta Hochst. ex Oliv. & Hiern; Bidens robertianifolia H. Lev. & Vaniot; Coreopsis biternata Lour.;