Bidens bipinnata

Bidens bipinnata
photo by Gil Nelson
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
Division:	Magnoliophyta - Flowering plants
Class:	Magnoliopsida - Dicotyledons
Order:	Asterales
Family:	Asteraceae ⁄ Compositae
Genus:	Bidens
Species:	B. bipinnata
Binomial name
Bidens bipinnata L.
Natural range of Bidens bipinnata from USDA NRCS Plants Database.

Common name: Spanish needles

Description

A description of Bidens bipinnata is provided in The Flora of North America.

B. bipinnata is an annual herb. It tends to be a ruderal, weedy species (FSU Herbarium).

Ecology

Habitat

B. bipinnata is found in marsh and island communities, river bluffs, and pine-oak woodlands (FSU Herbarium). It has also been found in disturbed areas including campgrounds, roadsides, ditches, disturbed coastal hammocks, old fields, and fire lines (FSU Herbarium). This species prefers shaded environments and moist sandy soil types like sandy loam, red sandy clay, and loamy sand (FSU Herbarium).

Associated species includes Quercus geminata, Desmodium ochroleucum, D. rotundifolium, Pinus, other Quercus's, Cornus florida, Liquidambar styraciflua, and others (FSU Herbarium).

Phenology

This species has been observed flowering and fruiting from July to October (FSU Herbarium).

Fire ecology

B. bipinnata is fire tolerant and frequent in firebreaks (FSU Herbarium).

References and notes

Florida State University Robert K. Godfrey Herbarium database. URL: http://herbarium.bio.fsu.edu. Last accessed: June 2014. Collectors: Bian Tan, Loran C. Anderson, Ed Keppner, Lisa Keppner, Richard S. Mitchell, R.K. Godfrey, R. Kral, Wilson Baker, R. Komarek, Andre F. Clewell, R.A. Norris, and Andre F. Clewell. States and Counties: Florida: Columbia, Wakulla, Bay, Calhoun, Leon, Franklin, Jackson, Jefferson, and Liberty. Georgia: Grady.