Bidens

[Peanut]

Bidens - a genus with about 200 species worldwide. Common names are Beggar ticks and Spanish needles. It’s the weed with small needle like seeds that sticks to your clothes. I find it at the edges of fields, any disturbed soil really. I happen to have a patch growing against the side of my house. I've been careful not to run my lawn mower over it, letting it go to seed for 3 years now.

Most of the research has been done on the species Bidens pilosa but many species have been used historically. Locally the species Bidens bipinnata is used to good effect. It is antibacterial, antimicrobial, anit-inflammatory and antimalarial. Bidens bipinnata happens to be a splitting image of common ragweed. When both plants are small I can barely tell them apart. As they mature the differences become clear.

The entire plant can be used medicinally. I use the leaves of Bidens bipinnata which are a bit stronger than the stem or bloom. I tinctured 380 grams of leaves today.

I'm doing this because of covid and the antimalarial properties of Bidens. I happen to know that another plant was used to great effect on the pulmonary fibrosis associated with covid early this spring. In the late 1800's into the 1900's a plant called Boneset was the go to medicine for treating malaria in the southern US... It also kicked covids butt this spring, (Eupatorium perfoliatum).

We've all heard of the two old malaria medications modern chemistry gave us, Chloroquine and Hydroxychloroquine... The two meds currently being used to great effect against covid.

Bidens has a long history in Appalachian folk medicine and was sometimes used as a replacement for boneset. Native peoples used it before that... Even though I've heard no reports of bidens being used against covid I'm thinking it might be beneficial...

references...

1) Herbal Antibiotics, Natural alternatives for treating Drug-resistant Bacteria... Stephen Harrod Burner

2) A Reference Guide to Medicinal Plants, Herbal Medicine Past and Present by J. Crellin and J. Philpott.

First two pics – Bidens bipinnata

Last pic – the plant on the left by the white line is common ragweed. The plant on the right by the black line is Bidens. They look remarkably similar when small.

 

[Amish Heart]

Good info, Peanut.
I thought this was going to be about Joe and Jill

 

[Peanut]

Nope, this plant is actually useful!

 

[Patchouli]

That is very cool information. I think I've used boneset but it was quite a few years ago.

 

[Bacpacker]

is this the same plant that gives beggar lice? Has little triangular bits that stick to your clothes when you walk by or thru it?

 

[phideaux]

is this the same plant that gives beggar lice? Has little triangular bits that stick to your clothes when you walk by or thru it?

That's what I thought about, beggar lice burrs.



After I got over Joe.

Jim

 

[Peanut]

@Bacpacker @phideaux

"It’s the weed with small needle like seeds that sticks to your clothes. " Just google spanish needles or Bidens bipinnata. That will bring up photos like this one....

 

[Sparky_D]

I tinctured 380 grams of leaves today.

Would love it if you posted a thread on how to make a tincture.

I could probably Google it, but would rather get the info from a trusted source like this forum.

 

[phideaux]

@Bacpacker @phideaux

"It’s the weed with small needle like seeds that sticks to your clothes. " Just google spanish needles or Bidens bipinnata. That will bring up photos like this one....

View attachment 47141

I think I got those too.

You got to pull them out of you socks , they have barb like seeds that go into material but resists pulling out.

Jim

 

[Peanut]

Would love it if you posted a thread on how to make a tincture.

I could probably Google it, but would rather get the info from a trusted source like this forum.

https://www.homesteadingforum.org/threads/plantain.4393/#post-261603
https://www.homesteadingforum.org/threads/herbal-medicine-books-peanut-recommends.6745/#post-260900
If you are serious about making tinctures you need this book or something similar. There are lots of variables that are specific to individual plants. Too many to cover in a post or thread. This is no generic one size fits all.

Many of the herbal medicine books I put in the library cover tinctures, from simple to complex, some plant specific.

I don't teach medicine making, I teach medicinal plants, two entirely different things.

 

[Dani]

Good info, Peanut.
I thought this was going to be about Joe and Jill

I thought the same too.

 

[Terri9630]

Good info, Peanut.
I thought this was going to be about Joe and Jill

That's what I was expecting. I was confused for a minute when Peanut started talking about plants.

 

[Bacpacker]

That is not the plant I was thinking of. I have those at times as well. I have let the back 2 acres of my place grow up, moreso to give some cover for the deer. I need to go walk around with my camo's on and see what I attract.
BTW Peanut's recommendation on books, and on Plantain are both spot on. I've picked up a couple books and harvested and have a jar of Plantain tinqure working. It's about to it's 30 day point to strain and bottle in the bark glass I purchased.

 

[joel]

I know it as Spanish needles, a hitchhiker plant, because it ride on fur,hair & clothes to better soil.
I like the white & black line, they look a lot alike.
I see you have wild Wild Garlic (Allium vineale). It is to strong for me.

Wild garlic originated in Europe. It can be found in the eastern half of the U.S. and the western region of the Pacific Northwest, and is widespread throughout Ohio. This species is drought tolerant, and can grow in a variety of soil types ranging from heavy, wet soils to dry, sandy or gravelly soils. Wild garlic is common in grain fields, pastures, meadows, lawns, gardens and waste places, as well as along roads, rivers and streams.

Plant Description:
Wild garlic is a grass-like, bulb-forming perennial characterized by slender, erect stems and leaves, and a globe-like flower head produced at the top of each stem, composed mostly of tiny aerial bulblets rather than flowers. This species reproduces by underground and aerial bulblets, and less frequently by seeds (plants in the northern part of the range rarely produce seeds). When crushed, all parts of the plant give off a strong garlic odor.

• Root System:
  The primary underground structure is a bulb (2/5 to 4/5 inch wide), which produces fibrous roots from the bottom surface. Bulbs are oval or rounded, and covered with a brittle, membranous, papery outer layer. Mature bulbs produce 2 types of underground bulblets at the base. Soft-coated bulblets (1/3 to 2/3 inch long) are white and teardrop-shaped, and can germinate the first autumn. Hard-coated bulblets (1/2 inch long) are light brown, oval and flattened on one side, and germinate the following spring or later.

If you milk cows, you should pin them up 2-2 1/2 before milking to get the taste out of the milk.
Thanks, great post.