Common Name:

General Information

Bidens aurea is a very variable, herbaceous, perennial plant producing one or more erect stems from elongate rhizomes. It usually grows from 50 - 100cm tall but exceptionally can reach 250cm[, ].
The plant has been shown to be an effective treatment for stomach ulcers. It is also perhaps used as a tea substitute. The plant has showy flowers and is sometimes grown as an ornamental[].
Seeds easily adhere to clothing or animal fur thus facilitating easy dispersal[]. The plant has become naturalized in
some Mediterranean countries and so has potential to become a weed[].

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

, ,

Range

Southwestern N. America - Arizona, south through Mexico to Guatemala

Habitat

Normally a plant of wet habitats on intermountain plateaux; primarily at elevations from 1,800 - 2,700 metres, now particularly common in wet roadside ditches in cultivated fields, marshy areas along streams,
rarely a weed in dry open habitats[].

Properties

Weed Potential	Yes
Edibility Rating
Medicinal Rating
Habit	Perennial
Height	1.00 m
Pollinators	Insects
Cultivation Status	Ornamental, Wild

Cultivation Details

Bidens aurea is not hardy in the colder areas of the temperate zone, it tolerates occasional temperatures down to between -5 and -10°c[].
Succeeds in any moderately fertile moisture-retentive soil in full sun[]. Prefers a good well-drained soil[]. Although various reports say that the plant does well in well-drained soil, in its native habitat the plant is often found in quite wet areas such as marshes[].

Edible Uses

The leaves are possibly used as a tea substitute[].

Medicinal

The plant is antiinflammatory, antiulcer[].
The flavonoids found in this plant have been shown to exert a protective influence on the stomach lining. In trials, an oral treatment with the ether fraction of the flavonoid extract om an ulcerated stomac led to increased mucus content accompanied by a proportional increase in proteins and hexosamines. There was also a marked increase of neutral and sulfated glycoproteins, which are protective substances in the mucus[].
A diethyl ether extract of bidens (125 and 62.5 mg/kg body weight), administered in a single dose,has been shown to significantly decrease the macroscopic and microscopic ulcer index. Usually after 14-days of treatment the lesions were found completely covered with regenerative epithelium and a proliferation of blood vessels was observed. Application of acetic acid produced a significant increase in leukocyte infiltration (part of the inflammatory response) 7 days after induction of chronic injury; the macroscopic examination showed a drastic reduction of leukocyte infiltration in groups treated with bidens extract. These results suggest that the recovery of vascularization of the ulcerated area and the decrease of neutrophil infiltration are involved in the antiulcer effect of the flavonoids[].

Other Uses

None known

Propagation

Seed - we have no information for this species but suggest sowing the seed in a greenhouse in the spring. Surface-sow or only just cover the seed and do not allow the compost to dry out. When they are large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots and grow them on in the greenhouse for at least their first winter. Plant them out into their permanent positions in late spring or early summer, after the last expected frosts.
Division in spring.