Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Spanish needles (Bidens pilosa L.) as a wild food resource

  • Published:
Economic Botany Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Spanish needles (Bidens pilosa L.) is a common and pestiferous weed in nearly all tropical and subtropical areas. While it is primarily regarded as a subject for eradication, it has usefulness as a cover crop and fodder and source of nectar for honeybees. It is employed to some extent in native medicine and as food. Culinary trials ofB. pilosa var. radiata in South Florida indicate that the young shoots of this and other varieties might well be more widely eaten as cooked greens.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Arbelaez, E. P. Plantas Utiles de Colombia. 3rd ed. Bogotá. 1956.

  2. Bailey, L. H. Standard Cyclopedia of Horticulture, Vol.I. New York, 1928 (reprinted 1947).

  3. Barnett, W. L. Grasses and Forage Crops of Jamaica. Jour. Jamaica Agric. Soc.40: 16–26, 114–120. 1936.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  4. Brown, F. B. H. Flora of Southeastern Polynesia. Bul. 130. Bernice P. Bishop Museum, Honolulu. 1935.

    Google Scholar 

  5. Brown, W. H. Useful Plants of the Philippines. Vol.III. Tech. Bul. 10. Dept. of Agric. and Commerce, Manila. 1946.

    Google Scholar 

  6. Brown, W. H. Wild Food Plants of the Philippines. Bul. 21. Dept. of Agric. and Nat. Res., Bur. of Forestry, Manila. 1920. Also bound in Minor Products of Philippine Forests. Vol.II. Bul. 22, Dept. of Agric. and Nat. Res., Manila. 1921.

  7. Burkill, I. H. A Dictionary of the Economic Products of the Malay Peninsula. Vol. I. London. 1935.

  8. Carneiro Ribeiro, J. H. Sobre um Inimigo doBidens pilosus. Agronomía12(2): 51–53. 1953.

    Google Scholar 

  9. Cook, O. F. and G. N. Collins. Economic Plants of Porto Rico. Vol. VIII, Pt. 2. Contrib. U.S. Nat’l. Herb., U.S. Nat’l. Mus., Smithsonian Inst., Washington, D. C. 1903.

    Google Scholar 

  10. Dalziel, J. M. Useful Plants of West Tropical Africa. London. 1948.

  11. Degener, O. Flora Hawaiiensis (New Illus. Flora of Haw. Isl.) Books 1–4. 2nd ed. New York. 1946.

  12. DeWildeman, E. Sur des Plantes Medicinales ou Utiles du Mayumbe (Congo Beige). Mem. Inst. Royal Colonial Beige. Vol. VI, Fasc. 4, Brussels. 1938.

  13. Fernald, M. L. and A. C. Kinsey. Edible Wild Plants of Eastern North America. New York. 1958.

  14. Gaskins, M. H. Personal communication. May 14, 1962. Pl. Introd. Sta., Agric. Res. Serv., U.S. Dept. Agric., Miami, Fla.

  15. Gillespie, W. H. A Compilation of the Edible Wild Plants of West Virginia. New York. 1959.

  16. Guerra, F. and C. Goyos. Acción de la Aceitilla,Bidens leucantha, sobra la Glicemia Normal and la Hiperglicemia Diabetica. La Prensa Médica Mexicana Vol. 16, pp. 7–11. 1951.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  17. Jacobson, M. Insecticides from Plants: A Review of the Literature, 1941–1953. Agric. Handbook 154. U. S. Dept. of Agric., Washington, D. C. 1958.

    Google Scholar 

  18. Jepson, W. L. Manual of the Flowering Plants of California. Berkeley. 1925.

  19. Ledin, R. B. The Compositae of South Florida. Quart. Jour. Florida Acad. Sci.14(2–3): 51–207. June-Sept. 1951.

    Google Scholar 

  20. Martínez, M. Las Plantas Medicinales de Mexico. 4th ed. Mexico. 1959.

  21. Muenscher, W. C. Weeds. 2nd ed. New York. 1955.

  22. Ochse, J. J. and R. C. Bakhuizen van den Brink. Vegetables of the Dutch East Indies. Buitenzorg, Java. 1931.

  23. Ordetx Ros, G. S. Flora Apícola de la América Tropical. Havana. 1952.

  24. Paixao, J. da C. and R. Machado. Reacão do picao (Bidens pilosus L.) a diversos herbicidas. Soc. Bot. do Brazil, Anais do IV Congresso Nacional. pp. 222–239.1953.

  25. Pittier, H. Ensayo Sobre las Plantas Usuales de Costa Rica. Washington, D. C. 1908.

  26. Pittie, H. Manual de las Plantas Usuales de Venezuela. Caracas. 1926.

  27. Pope, W. T. Manual of Wayside Plants of Hawaii. Honolulu. 1929.

  28. Provision of Animal Fodder in Tropical and Subtropical Countries, The. Pt. I. Bull. 31. 1944 (reprinted 1949). Aberystwyth, Gt. Brit.

  29. Rich, Clinton. Personal communication, Apr. 21, 1962. Mexico, D. F.

  30. Rochecouste, E. and R. E. Vaughan. Weeds of Mauritius. No. 1.Bidens pilosaLinn. (Herbe Villebague). Leaflet No. 1, Mauritius Sugar Industry Research Inst., July, 1959.

  31. Roig y Mesa, J. T. Plantas Medicinales, Aromaticas o Venenosas de Cuba. Havana, 1945.

  32. Ruehle, G. D. Personal communication, Apr. 19, 1962. Univ. of Florida Subtr. Expt. Sta. Homestead, Fla.

  33. Sherff, E. E. The genusBidens. Pt. I, Pub. 388; Pt. II, Pub. 389. Field Museum of Nat. Hist., Chicago. 1937.

    Google Scholar 

  34. Standley, P. C. Flora of Costa Rica. Pub. 429. Bot. Ser. Vol. XVIII, Pt. IV. Field Museum of Nat. Hist., Chicago. 1938.

    Google Scholar 

  35. Standley, P. C. Flora of the Lancetilla Valley, Honduras. Pub. 283. Bot. Ser. Vol. X. Field Museum of Nat. Hist., Chicago. 1931.

    Google Scholar 

  36. Standley, P. C. Flora of the Panama Canal Zone. Vol. 27. Contrib. U.S. Nat’l Herb., U.S. Nat’l Museum, Smithsonian Inst., Washington, D. C. 1928.

    Google Scholar 

  37. Standley, P. C. Flora of Yucatan. Pub. 279, Bot. Ser. Vol. III, No. 3. Field Museum of Nat. Hist., Chicago. 1930.

    Google Scholar 

  38. Underhill, R. Spanish Needle Gives Way to Soybeans. Amer. Bee Jour.98(2): 50. Feb. 1958.

    Google Scholar 

  39. Watt, J. M., and M. G. Breyer-Brandwijk. The Medicinal and Poisonous Plants of South Africa. Edinburgh. 1932.

  40. Williams, R. O. Useful and Ornamental Plants in Zanzibar and Pemba. Zanzibar. 1949.

  41. Williams, R. O. and R. O. Williams, Jr. Useful and Ornamental Plants of Trinidad and Tobago. 4th ed. Trinidad. 1951.

  42. Williamson, J. Useful Plants of Nyasaland. Nyasaland. 1955.

  43. Yanovsky, E. Food Plants of the North American Indians. Misc. Pub. 237. U.S. Dept. of Agric, Washington, D. C. 1936.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Morton Collectanea, University of Miami, Coral Gables, Florida

    Julia F. Morton (Director)

Authors
  1. Julia F. Morton
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Morton, J.F. Spanish needles (Bidens pilosa L.) as a wild food resource. Econ Bot 16, 173–179 (1962). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02860036

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02860036

Keywords

Search

Navigation