3 results about "Bidens pilosa" patented technology

Bidens pilosa is a species of flowering plant in the aster family. It is native to the Americas but it is known widely as an introduced species of other regions, including Eurasia, Africa, Australia, and the Pacific Islands. It is a tall branched weed with thin yellow flowers that develop into a cluster of barbed fruits. Its many common names include black-jack, beggar-ticks, cobbler's pegs, sticky beaks, farmer's friends and Spanish needle. The fruits are like short, stiff hairs. They get stuck in feathers, fur, fleeces, clothing, etc. This bur is widespread throughout the warmer regions of the world. Its little black fruits hook onto clothes or animals and thereby the bur spreads itself around. It is susceptible to hand weeding if small enough, even then must be bagged, and thick mulches may prevent it from growing. Each fruit has two to four barbed spines. A weed of gardens, woodlands, and waste areas, people or animals that brush against the plant will get the fruits stuck on their clothing or fur. Although this plant is primarily considered a weed, in many parts of the world it is a source of food and medicine. For example, it is reportedly widely eaten in Africa, and in Vietnam, during the Vietnam War, soldiers adopted the herb as a vegetable, which lead to it being known as the "soldier vegetable".