Flower

Flower center is round about ¼ to ½ inch across, orange-yellow, and made up of tiny disk flowers having 4 or 5 lobes. Ray flowers are uncommon. Inner bracts surround the disk which is equal in size, narrowly egg-shaped, brownish-green to yellow. Outer leafy bracts are unequal size, 2 to 3 times longer than head, and narrow lance elliptic to spatula-shaped.

Leaves and stem

Leaves are opposite, mostly unlobed, 1 ½ to 4 inches long, 1/3 to 1 ¼ inches wide, lance elliptic with serrated edges or irregularly toothed, sharp point at the tip, stalkless or tapering at the base to a short-winged stalk, hairless or hairy to varying degrees especially around the edges.

Sometimes lower leaves have one to a few deep lobes towards the base. Stems are erect and can be green or tinged red but usually purple in color, hence the common name Purple-stem Beggarticks. Stems are typically smooth but fine hairs may be present.

Fruit

Flower heads produce purplish black to brown seeds about ¼ to 1/3 inch long which are four-angled and somewhat flattened. Usually, the top are 2 to 4 barbed awns which help to attach to anything that passes by.

Facts About Purplestem beggarticks

Uses

Dr. Brown (1857) “The root and seeds are emmenagogue and expectorant; the seeds, in powder or tincture, have been used in amenorrhoea, dysmenorrhoea, and some other uterine derangements, and an infusion of the root has proved beneficial in severe cough.” It has been used with great success for palpitation? of the heart and for croup. For the latter affliction, a strong infusion of the leaves sweetened with honey and administered in tablespoonful doses every 15 min. until vomiting? is produced is regarded as a cure. The leaves, heated to the form of a poultice and laid upon the throat and chest in cases of bronchial and laryngeal attacks from exposure to cold, etc, are very beneficial.

Dose

1 teaspoonful of the root, cut small or granulated, to 1 cupful of boiling water. Drink cold 1 cupful during the day, a large mouthful at a time. Of the tincture, 5–20 drops. Either Bidens bipinnata (Spanish needles) or Bidens frondosa (Beggar’s tick) can be employed, both having the same medical properties.

Russian Experience

A variety of Biden’s grows throughout Russia. Chereda (Bidens triparita) has the most attention medicinally and commercially. The well-dried leaves keep their natural color, have a specific aroma and astringent, slightly bitter taste.

Folk Medicine employed the silent qualities of Chereda long before words were expressed on paper. Decoctions were used for the tension of fear, blood purifying, liver trouble, colds, infection?, or irritation, often causing pain?, swelling?, heat, or redness. সহজ বাংলা: শরীরের প্রদাহ; ব্যথা, ফোলা বা লালভাব হতে পারে।" data-rx-term="inflammation" data-rx-definition="Inflammation is the body’s response to injury, infection, or irritation, often causing pain, swelling, heat, or redness. সহজ বাংলা: শরীরের প্রদাহ; ব্যথা, ফোলা বা লালভাব হতে পারে।">inflammation? of the bladder, headache?, eczema (internally as a tea, decoction, extracts), external bathing for skin irritations, nervous upset children to induce sleep (Bello-Russ. Academy of Science, Minsk, 1965). Tea is used for scrofula, rickets, diathesis, gout and as a diuretic and diaphoretic. For improved metabolism, 1 tablespoonful to 1 cupful of boiling water, steeped 10 min. and strained. Dose, 1 tablespoonful eight times a day (Moscow University, Moscow, 1963).

Clinical

In the form of Nastoika, extracts, and decoctions in combinations of compounds for the treatment of internal and external ailments. Pharmacopeia of late has given attention to Bidens triparita.

Industrial

The wild collection of Bidens falls short of the demand. Cultivation is very successful: they seed 12–14 lb. per acre and harvest up to 2,500 lb. of dry herb. Cutting starts just before the buds flower and when the plant is about 50 cm. high, using only the leaves and tops.

Commercial

Beautiful cream shades of brown, orange and yellow are used for dying wool and silk.

Medicinal uses

• It is used for infection?, or irritation, often causing pain?, swelling?, heat, or redness. সহজ বাংলা: শরীরের প্রদাহ; ব্যথা, ফোলা বা লালভাব হতে পারে।" data-rx-term="inflammation" data-rx-definition="Inflammation is the body’s response to injury, infection, or irritation, often causing pain, swelling, heat, or redness. সহজ বাংলা: শরীরের প্রদাহ; ব্যথা, ফোলা বা লালভাব হতে পারে।">inflammation?, bleeding, pain of urinary tract mucosa and used for benign? prostatic hypertrophy? and increasing excretion of uric acid and decreases the chances of gout attacks.
• It is used in Chinese medicine for diarrhea?, bug bites and snakebite.
• Use it in folk medicine for debility, appendicitis, furunculosis, earache, pain? or burning during urination. সহজ বাংলা: প্রস্রাবে জ্বালা/ব্যথা।" data-rx-term="dysuria" data-rx-definition="Dysuria means pain or burning during urination. সহজ বাংলা: প্রস্রাবে জ্বালা/ব্যথা।">dysuria?, hemorrhage, gravel, jaundice?, hypertension?, tabes and rheumatism.
• Cherokee use leaf tea to expel worms.
• Chew the leaves for sore throat.
• Use the juice as eardrops.
• Use the seeds in form of tincture or powder for amenorrhoea, dysmenorrhea.
• A root infusion is helpful for severe cough.
• Use it for heart palpitation? and croup.
• Heat the leaves to make a poultice and put it on the throat and chest for bronchial and laryngeal attacks from exposure to cold.

References