Bidens pilosa alba Spanish Needles Edible Medicinal Butterfly Garden 250 seeds
Specifications
| All Returns Accepted | ReturnsNotAccepted |
| Brand | Unbranded |
| Type | Herb Seeds |
This listing is for 150 fresh seeds of Bidens pilosa /alba. Shipping will be $4.00 for any quantity of seeds purchased from this or other of my seed listings. Seeds will be sent in a padded mailer, not just a regular envelope where they get damaged. This plant has many common names, including spanish needles, shepherd's needle, black jack, cobbler's pegs, pitchforks, romerillo, mozotillo, and matakaro. Spanish needles is related to sunflowers, asters, and daisies. This plant can be found growing in many places across the nation and around the globe, but for some reason its seeds are difficult to find for sale. This under-rated plant has a wide variety of uses and is a must for any butterfly garden. Spanish needles have been used in many ways by traditional folk: The flowers and young leaves are added to salads. The flowers are used for brewing tea or to make wine. The mature leaves can be boiled or steamed for greens. The plant can be dried and used as a tobacco substitute. It can be used as a green manure to improve soil fertility. An infusion of the plant makes an effective insect repellent. It is fed to many types of animals including livestock and rabbits. Various parts of the plant have been used to treat specific illnesses. Spanish needles is a weedy annual or short-lived perennial herb with erect and ridged 1 to 4 foot tall stems emerging from a strong taproot. The seedlings initially put out simple, long-stalked, opposite leaves with depressed midveins. As the plants get older, they produce upper foliage with compound leaves composed of 3 to 9 saw toothed oval leaflets. The leaves are 1 to 5 inches long and up to 2 1/2 inches wide, bright green on top and hairy on the underside. As the season progresses, the major branches tend to sprawl and root at the lower nodes where they touch the ground. The 1 inch flowers, which grow in stalked clusters, look like coarse daisies with five white rays and yellow centers. The 1/4 to 1/2 inch long ribbed seeds resemble flat black needles with 2 to 6 barbed hooks at one end. In the tropics, spanish needles stays green year round, but grows and flowers most actively when the weather is hot and rainfall is plentiful. BUTTERFLIES: This is a very favored plant of many butterflies, so would make an excellent addition to your collection of butterfly attracting plants. An incomplete list of appreciative leptidopterans includes: tropical tigermoth (Spilosoma jacksoni), American lady (Vanessa virginiensis), American snout butterfly (Libytheana carinenta), amethyst hairstreak (Chlorostrymon maesites), atala butterfly (Eumaeus atala), barred yellow (Eurema daira), Bartram's scrub-hairstreak (Strymon acis), black swallowtail (Papilio polyxenes asterius), black-veined tiger (Danaus melanippus hegesippus), black-winged dahana (Dahana atripennis), buckeye butterfly (Precis Junonia coenia), Carolina satyr (Hermeuptypchia sosybius), cassius blue (Leptotes cassius), ceraunus blue (Hemiargus ceraunus), checkered white (Pontia protodice), clouded skipper (Lerema accius), cloudless sulphur (Phoebis sennae), coffee-loving pyrausta moth (Pyrausta tyralis), cornear moth (Helicoverpa zea), dainty sulphur (Nathalis iole), dark-spotted tiger moth (Spilosoma canescens), desert orangetip skipper (Anthocharis cethura pima), dina yellow (Eurema dina), disguised scrub-hairstreak (Strymon limenia), dorantes skipper (Urbanus dorantes), eastern pygmy-blue (Brephidium isophthalma), eastern tailed blue (Everes comyntas), eastern tiger swallowtail (Papilio glaucus), eufala skipper (Lerodea eufala), field skipper (Atalopedes campestris), fiery skipper (Hylephila phyleus), Florida dusky wing (Ephyriades brunnea floridensis), Florida white (Appias drusilla), fulvous hairstreak (Electrostrymon angelica), giant swallowtail (Papilio cresphontes), gray hairstreak (Strymon melinus), gray ministreak (Ministrymon azia), great purple hairstreak (Atlides halesus), great southern white (Ascia monuste), gulf fritillary (Agraulis vanillae), Hall's sulphur (Eurema leuce), Horace's duskywing (Erynnis horatius), julia (Dryas iulia), little yellow (Eurema lisa), hammock skipper (Polygonus leo), investigated tiger moth (Alpenus investigatorum), lantana scrub-hairstreak (Strymon bazochii), large orange sulpher (Phoebis agarithe), little sulphur (Eurema lisa), long-tailed skipper (Urbanus proteus), mangrove skipper (Phocides pigmalion), martial scrub-hairstreak (Strymon martialis), Miami blue (Hemiargus thomasi bethunebakeri), mimosa yellow (Eurema nise), mobile groundling (Condica mobilis), monarch butterfly (Danaus plexippus), monk (Asbolis capucinus), olive-clouded skipper (Lerodea arabus),painted lady (Vanessa cardui), palamedes swallowtail (Papilio palamedes), palatka skipper (Euphyes pilatka), pale-banded crescent (anthanassa tulcis), pearl crescent (Phyciodes tharos), plain Tiger (Anosia chrysippus), polka-dotted wasp moth (Syntomeida epilais), potrillo skipper (Cabares potrillo), pygmy grass blue (Zizula hylax), queen butterfly (Danaus gilippus), red-banded hairstreak (Calycopis cecrops), red-waisted florella (Syngamia florella), scarlet-bodied wasp moth (Cosmosoma myrodora), silver-banded hairstreak (Chlorostrymon simaethis), sleepy orange (Eurema nicippe), silver-spotted skipper (Hesperia comma), southern broken-dash (Wallengrenia otho), southern dogface (Colias cesonia), southern emerald moth (Synchlora frondaria), southern hairstreak (Satyrium favonius), southern skipperling (Copaodes minima), spicebush swallowtail (Papilio troilus), statira sulphur (Phoebis statira), sunrise skipper (dopaeoides prittwitzi), Sweadners hairstreak (Mitoura sweadneri), three-spotted skipper (Cymaenes tripunctatus), tiny hairstreak (Tmolus azia), tropical checkered skipper (Pyrgus oileus), twin-spot skipper (Oligorio maculata), varigated fritillary (Euptoieta ciaudia), Viceroy (Limenitis archippus), white peacock (Anartia jatrophae), zestos skipper (Epargyreus zestos), zarucco dusky wing (Erynnis zarucco), zebra longwing (Heliconius charitonia), and others. MEDICINAL: B. pilosa, which is often confused with, and in some texts synonymous with, Bidens alba, reportedly has constituents that can depress the central nervous system and lower blood sugar. Because Bidens species seem to contain an amazing number of chemicals with biological activity, various species are the subjects of ongoing research, including use as an antimalarial drug. Bidens species contain some powerful chemical constituents and should not be used medicinally without the advice of a skilled herbalist or traditional healer. A list of traditional medicinal uses of Bidens pilosa includes: abortitive allergies anemia angina anti-inflammatory antiseptic biliousness blood clots boils bronchitis burns cancer candida catarrh cold colic colitis burns cataracts colitis conjunctivitis constipation cough cystitis dental pain diaper rash diabetes diarrhea digestive disorders diuretic dropsy duodenal ulcers dysentery earache edema emmenagogue eyes fever flatulence food poisoning fungal infections gastric ulcers gastroenteritis gout gonorrhea heatrash headache hemorrhoids hemorrhage hepatitis high blood pressure hypoglycemia inflammation insect bites intestinal infections jaundice kidneys lacerations laryngitis leucorrhea leukemia liver liver obstructions low blood pressure lungs malaria mouth blisters nephritis nervous problems nervous shock parasites pneumonia postpartum hemorrhage prostate obesity respiratory infection rheumatism scurvy snakebite sore mouth sore throat stomach pains swollen glands tonsillitis toothache tuberculosis tumors vaginal infections ulcerated colitis ulcers urinary infections venereal diseases vomiting worms wounds CHEMICAL CONSTITUENTS: Dr. Jim Duke of the Germplasm Resources Information Network has studied this plant. The Germplasm Resources Information Network (GRIN) web server provides germplasm information about plants, animals, microbes and invertebrates. This program is within the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Agricultural Research Service. According to Dr.Duke's database, this plant has been shown to contain the following chemicals: 1-PHENYL-HEPTA-1-3-5-TRIYNE 2-O-CAFFEOYL-2-C-METHYL-D-ERYTHRONIC-ACID 3-O-CAFFEOYL-2-C-METHYL-D-ERYTHRONO-1-4-LACTONE 7-PHENYL-HEPTA-2-4-6-TRIYNE ALPHA-CADINOL BEHENIC-ACID BETA-AMYRIN BETA-CARYOPHYLLENE BORNEO CAPRIC-ACID DAUCOSTEROL ELAIDIC-ACID ESCULETIN FRIEDELAN-3-BETA-OL FRIEDELIN GERMACRENE-D ISOQUERCITRIN L-INOSITOL LAURIC-ACID LIMONENE LINOLEIC-ACID LINOLENIC-ACID LUPEOL LUPEOL-ACETATE MYRISTIC-ACID OKANIN-3'-4'-DIGLUCOSIDE OKANIN-3'-GLUCOSIDE OKANIN-3'-O-BETA-D-GLUCOSIDE OKANIN-4'-(6"-O-ACETYL)-GLUCOSIDE OKANIN-4'-DIGLUCOSIDE OKANIN-4'-GLUCOSIDE OKANIN-4'-O-BETA-D-(2"-4"-6"-TRIACETYL)-GLUCOSIDE OKANIN-4'-O-BETA-D-(2"-4"-DIACETYL-6"-TRANS-P-COUMAROYL)-GLUCOSIDE OKANIN-4'-O-BETA-D-(3"-4"-DIACETYL-6"-TRANS-P-COUMAROYL)-GLUCOSIDE OKANIN-4'-O-BETA-D-(4"-ACETYL-6"-TRANS-P-COUMAROYL)-GLUCOSIDE OKANIN-4'-O-BETA-D-(6"-TRANS-P-COUMAROYL)-GLUCOSIDE OKANIN-4'-O-BETA-D-GLUCOPYRANOSIDE OKANIN-4-METHYL-ETHER-3'-O-BETA-D-GLUCOSIDE PALMITIC-ACID PALMITOLEIC-ACID PHENYLHEPTA-1-3-5-TRIYNE PHENYLHEPTA-1-3-5-TRIYNE PHENYLHEPTA-1-3-5-TRIYNE PHENYLHEPTATRIYNE PHENYLHEPTATRIYNE PHENYLHEPTATRIYNE PHYTOL-HEPTANOATE SANDARACOPIMARA-8(14)-15-DIENE-7-ALPHA-18-DIOL SQUALENE STIGMASTEROL T-MUUROLOL TRIDEC-5-ENE-7-9-11-TRIYNE-3-OL TRIDECA-2-12-DIENE-4-6-8-10-TETRAYN-1-OL TRIDECA-3-11-DIENE-5-7-9-TRIYNE-1-2-DIOL TRIDECAPENTAYN-1-ENE BIOLOGICAL ACTIVITY: The Germplasm Resources Information Network also shows the following activities for Bidens pilosa: The number in () indicates how many separate chemicals this species has for that activity, for example, Analgesic (3) indicates this species has three separate chemicals that have Analgesic activity. Select the activity to see the chemicals. (-)-Chronotropic (1) (-)-Inotropic (1) 5-Alpha-Reductase-Inhibitor (3) 5-Lipoxygenase-Inhibitor (1) ACE-Inhibitor (1) AChE-Inhibitor (1) Acaricide (2) Aldose-Reductase-Inhibitor (2) Allelochemic (2) Allergenic (1) Analgesic (3) AntiEBV (1) AntiMS (1) Antiacetylcholine (1) Antiacetylcholinesterase (1) Antiacne (1) Antiadenomic (1) Antialopecic (2) Antialzheimeran? (1) Antianaphylactic (1) Antiandrogenic (2) Antiangiogenic (1) Antiarrhythmic (1) Antiarteriosclerotic (1) Antiarthritic (1) Antiasthmatic (1) Antiasthmatic? (1) Antibacterial (7) Antibronchitic (1) Anticancer (2) Anticapillary-Fragility (1) Anticoronary (1) Antidysenteric (1) Antieczemic (1) Antiedemic (3) Antielastase (1) Antiescherichic (2) Antiesophagitic (1) Antifeedant (3) Antifibrinolytic (2) Antiflu (2) Antigranular (1) Antihepatotoxic (1) Antihistaminic (1) Antihyperglycemic (2) Antiinflammatory (11) Antileukemic (1) Antileukotriene-D4 (2) Antilithic (2) Antilymphomic (1) Antimalarial (1) Antimenorrhagic (1) Antimetastatic (Stomach) (1) Antimite (1) Antimutagenic (2) Antinociceptive (3) Antiobesity (1) Antiophidic (1) Antiotitic (1) Antioxalate (1) Antioxidant (7) Antiperoxidant (1) Antiprostaglandin (1) Antiprostatitic (1) Antipyretic (2) Antiradicular (1) Antirheumatic (1) Antisalmonella (1) Antiseptic (2) Antispasmodic (3) Antistaphylococcic (2) Antitumor (5) Antitumor (Breast) (1) Antitumor (Colon) (1) Antitumor (Pancreas) (1) Antitumor (Prostate) (1) Antitumor (Stomach) (1) Antitumor-Promoter (1) Antiulcer (2) Antiurethrotic (1) Antiviral (4) Antiyeast (1) Apoptotic (1) Artemicide (1) Bronchoprotectant (1) CNS-Stimulant (1) CNS-Toxic (1) COX-1-Inhibitor (1) COX-2-Inhibitor (1) Cancer-Preventive (7) Candidicide (3) Candidistat (1) Capillarigenic (1) Carcinogenic (1) Cardiodepressant (1) Chemopreventive (2) Choleretic (2) Cholesterolytic (1) Comedolytic (1) Cosmetic (3) Cytotoxic (2) Dermatitigenic (1) Detoxicant (1) Diaphoretic (1) Diuretic (2) Enterocontractant (1) Estrogenic (1) Expectorant (1) FLavor (3) FPTase-Inhibitor (1) Fungicide (4) Fungiphilic (1) Fungistat (1) GST-Inducer (1) Gastroprotective (1) Hemolytic (1) Hepatoprotective (4) Herbicide (2) Histaminic (1) Hypercholesterolemic (3) Hypertensive (1) Hypocholesterolemic (2) Hypoglycemic (1) Hypotensive (2) Immunomodulator (2) Immunostimulant (1) Inhalant (1) Insect-Repellent (1) Insecticide (1) Insectifuge (3) Insectiphile (1) Interleukin-6-Inhibitor (1) Irritant (3) Larvicide (1) Lipolytic (1) Lipoxygenase-Inhibitor (2) Lubricant (2) Metastatic (1) Mosquitocide (1) Musculotropic (1) Myorelaxant (3) NO-Genic (1) Nematicide (5) Ornithine-Decarboxylase-Inhibitor (1) Ovulant (1) Ozone-Scavenger (1) P450-Inducer (1) Perfumery (2) Peristaltic (1) Pesticide (11) Pheromone (1) Photosensitizer (1) Propecic (2) Sedative (3) Soap (2) Sunscreen (2) TNF-alpha-Inhibitor (1) TOPO-2-Inhibitor (1) Topoisomerase-II-Inhibitor (1) Tranquilizer (1) Transdermal (1) UV-Screen (1) Xanthine-Oxidase-Inhibitor (1) There are many ongoing scientific studies of this plant and its constituents for potential medical and other uses. Meanwhile, the flowers do make an attractive addition to a fresh salad, and the foliage is very nutritious as a potherb. This listing is for 150 fresh seeds of Bidens pilosa /alba. Shipping will be $4.00 for any quantity of seeds purchased from this or other of my seed listings.