BIDENS PILOSA L. 

Family: Asteraceae

Synonyms: Bidens chinensis Willd., B.leucantha Willd., B. subalternans Dc.

Common names: Spanish needle, Hairy Beggartick, Beggar tick, Romerillo, Moriseco, Mozote, Zégwyi

An annual herb, up to 90 cm tall, 4-angled stem glabrous, leaves opposite, divided into 3-5 ovate-lanceolate, flowers yellow and achenes nearly linear.

Bidens pilosa is a pantropical plant easily found in hot climate countries. It propagates via seeds.

In areas with conventional land preparation and cultivation B. pilosa is not a problem, but not in areas, where certain herbicides are used repeatedly.

Resistant biotypes to imazaquin herbicide have been found in fields of soyabean in Brazil (1993), and also to paraquat in coffee plantations in Kenya (1991).

In Brazil, effective control of B. pilosa by a Helminthosporium strain has been found in soyabean areas.

It is common in arable land, gardens and waste places, and widely spread in tropical and sub-tropical zones.

Countries: Bahamas, Burundi, Cameroon, Colombia, Costa Rica, Erithrea, Rwanda

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