Bur Marigold

Bidens laevis is a species of flowering plant in the daisy family known by the common names bur-marigold and smooth beggarticks. It is native to the southern half of the United States, where it grows in wetlands, including estuaries and riverbanks. It is similar in appearance to its relative Bidens cernua and the two are sometimes confused. This is an annual or perennial herb growing over 20 centimeters tall and sometimes much taller, exceeding one meter in height and sometimes approaching two. The narrow lance-shaped leaves are 5 to 15 centimeters long, with finely toothed edges and pointed tips. The flower cluster bears one or more flower heads which bend down as they become heavy with fruit after flowering. Each head has a center of yellow disc florets and a fringe of 7 or 8 yellow ray florets each up to 3 centimeters long. The fruit is a sharply barbed achene.I love this website. Great information on wildflowers. Yesterday, I spent hours picking the burs from nodding marigold out on my jeans and sweatshirt after walking along the shore of our slough. The flowers were lovely earlier this fall, and I am delighted to now know the name of this plant.The appropriate dose of burr marigold depends on several factors such as the user's age, health, and several other conditions. At this time there is not enough scientific information to determine an appropriate range of doses for burr marigold. Keep in mind that natural products are not always necessarily safe and dosages can be important. Be sure to follow relevant directions on product labels and consult your pharmacist or physician or other healthcare professional before using.Burr marigold is an annual wildflower that grows en masse in wetlands and along river and marsh edges throughout Florida. Its blooms consist of bright yellow ray florets and dark yellow to brownish disk florets. Its leaves are linear to elliptic in shape and oppositely arranged. Burr marigolds bloom in late fall through early winterBur Marigold is a native annual in the aster family found in the coastal areas of NC. It grows in wet sites along estuaries and rivers and can reach as high as 6 feet tall. The bright yellow flowers have brown centers and bloom until frost. It can have a floppy habit due to the weight of the flowers and seeds.

At the base of each flowerhead, there are both inner and outer bracts (phyllaries). The inner bracts are pale yellow, membranous along their margins, and rather broad, tapering to blunt tips. The outer bracts are green and oblong-linear. These latter bracts are about as long or longer than the petaloid rays, but they have a tendency to curl backward with age. There are about 6-10 outer bracts per flowerhead. The blooming period occurs from late summer to early fall and lasts about 1-2 months for a colony of plants. Each achene is oblongoid, although broader and somewhat truncated at its apex, where there are usually 4 barbed awns. The root system is shallow and branches frequently. This plant often forms colonies and spreads by reseeding itself; sometimes the lower portion of a stem will form rootlets at the leaf nodes when it lies against moist soil. Nodding Bur-Marigold is rather variable across its range. The leaves have a tendency to turn purple during the cool weather of autumn.The native Nodding Bur-Marigold is common in central and northern Illinois, but occasional to absent in southern Illinois (see Distribution Map). Habitats include swamps, bogs, seeps, marshes, edges of rivers and ponds, soggy meadows in floodplain areas, and ditches along roads and railroads. Nodding Bur-Marigold is often found in degraded wetlands, although it also occurs in higher quality wetlands. Allergy to ragweed, daisies, and related plants: Burr marigold may cause an allergic reaction in people who are sensitive to the Asteraceae/Compositae plant family. Members of this family include ragweed, chrysanthemums, marigolds, daisies, and many others. If you have allergies, be sure to check with your healthcare provider before taking burr marigold.The appropriate dose of burr marigold depends on several factors such as the user's age, health, and several other conditions. At this time there is not enough scientific information to determine an appropriate range of doses for burr marigold. Keep in mind that natural products are not always necessarily safe and dosages can be important. Be sure to follow relevant directions on product labels and consult your pharmacist or physician or other healthcare professional before using. (Source: www.emedicinehealth.com)