Burr Marigold

January 30th, 2009

Botanical Name: Bidens tripartita.
Family: Asteraceae (formerly Compositae)
Common Names:Sticktights, Water Agrimony, Beggar’s Ticks, Tickseed, Spanish Needles
Spanish: Aceitilla, Té de Coral, Té de Milpa
Nahuatl: Acocohxihuitl
Maya: Chichik-kul or K’an-mul
Other Names: Three-lobe Beggarticks, Three-part Beggarticks, Leafy-bracted Beggarticks, Trifid Bur-marigold, Bidens tripartita,Bastard , Hemp and Bastard Agrimony.
Genus: Bidens.
Parts Used: Aerial parts

Habitat:The plant grows throughout Europe, North America, and other temperate regions, including Australia and New Zealand, thriving in damp places and near fresh water. It also grows wild from the western US through Mexico and south into Argentina.

Description : An annual growing to two feet with toothed, lance-shaped leaves, yellow, button-like flower heads and burr-like fruit. Leafy-bracted Beggarticks or Trifid Bur-marigold, is a flowering plant . It is hardy to zone 6. It is in flower from July to September. The flowers are hermaphrodite (have both male and female organs) and are pollinated by Bees, hover-flies.The plant prefers light (sandy), medium (loamy) and heavy (clay) soils. The plant prefers acid, neutral and basic (alkaline) soils. It cannot grow in the shade. It requires moist or wet soil.

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The plant is harvested as it comes into flower and is dried for later use. Burr marigold seeds will germinate either on moist soil or under water. If buried in acidic mucky soils, the seeds go dormant until the soil is disturbed. It appears that seed dormancy is induced by a lack of oxygen (hypoxia). The seeds remain viable and are believed to persist for years.

History
Nicholas Culpeper wrote in 1652 that the plant helped an “evil disposition” and such other conditions such as dropsy, jaundice, and liver and spleen obstructions.

Key Components: flavonoids ,xanthophylls ,volatile oil ,acetylenes ,sterols ,tannins

Medicinal Uses:
Burr marigold is used as a medicine and was once esteemed for its styptic properties being used to quickly staunch blood flow – it was often used to treat uterine haemorrhage and conditions producing blood in the urine. The whole plant is antiseptic, aperient, astringent, diuretic, emmenagogue, febrifuge, narcotic, sedative, styptic and sudorific. It is an excellent remedy for ruptured blood vessels and bleeding of any kind, and is of benefit to people with consumption. It is used internally to treat bladder and kidney problems, blood in the urine, uterine bleeding, ulcerative colitis and peptic ulcers. Externally, it is used in the treatment of alopecia. It is usually combined with a carminative herb such as ginger when used to treat digestive tract ailments.

Water Agrimony (Bidens tripartita) is a valuable herb used for fevers, urinary tract disorders, and renal and respiratory diseases.

Traditional Uses:-
Although a somewhat obsolete medicine, the plant was once esteemed as an effective treatment for bladder and kidney problems.
The plant quickly stops blood flow and can be used externally, as well as internally for uterine hemorrhage or other conditions that produce blood in the urine.

The astringency in the plant helps to counteract peptic ulceration, diarrhea, and ulcerative colitis.

When employed to treat digestive tract ailments, it is usually combined with such an herb as ginger that reduces flatulence,

A related species, B. pilosa, is a South American herb that now grows throughout much of Africa and Australia. In Africa, it is used as a food crop, although it is considered to be unappetizing. It is also used there to treat diarrhea, but in the Carribean, the plant is used to induce menstruation.

To learn more you may click to see…(Agrimony (Water))

Disclaimer:The information presented herein is intended for educational purposes only. Individual results may vary, and before using any supplements, it is always advisable to consult with your own health care provider.

Resources:

http://www.mamaherb.com/Ingredients/View.aspx?id=1294

http://www.innvista.com/health/herbs/burrmari.htm

http://aquat1.ifas.ufl.edu/node/66

http://www.catstripe.co.uk/2008_08_01_archive.html

http://www.india9.com/i9show/Water-Agrimony-41675.htm