Five-Leaved Black Jack

Names and Synonyms

Common Names

• Five-Leaved Black Jack
• Yellow-Flowered Black Jack

Scientific Names

Accepted name

Synonyms

• Coreopsis biternata

Sources: Wikidata, Catalogue of Life

Taxonomical Classification

This plant belongs to the kingdom Plantae and the phylum Streptophyta, falling under the class Equisetopsida and subclass Magnoliidae. Within the order Asterales, it is classified under the family Asteraceae. Finally, it is identified by its specific genus, Bidens.

Sources: The World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP)

Distribution

This plant exhibits a diverse geographical distribution spanning several different regions. In Northern Europe, its presence can be documented in Great Britain. Its range extends into Southwestern Europe, specifically within the borders of France. Within the Macaronesian islands, it is found in both Cape Verde and Madeira. Finally, the species is also located in West Tropical Africa, specifically in Benin.

Sources: The World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP)

Botanical Identification

Ecology

The ecology of Bidens biternata is characterized by its remarkable adaptability to diverse altitudinal gradients, allowing it to colonize a wide variety of landscapes. This species thrives across a significant vertical spectrum, spanning an elevational range from a minimum of 200 m AMSL to a maximum of 2500 m AMSL. This broad distribution enables the plant to inhabit various ecological niches, ranging from lowland tropical environments to higher-altitude montane zones. Its ability to persist across such a vast range of elevations suggests a high tolerance for varying temperature regimes, atmospheric pressures, and moisture availability, which facilitates its success in both disturbed habitats and more stable natural ecosystems.

Elevational range max:

2500 m AMSL

Elevational range min:

200 m AMSL

Life history

The life history of Bidens bidentata is characterized by an annual lifecycle, meaning the plant completes its entire biological development—from germination to seed production—within a single growing season. In terms of its structural life form, it is classified as a therophyte, a growth habit where the plant survives the unfavorable seasons through seeds rather than overwintering as a vegetative structure. This therophytic strategy allows it to rapidly exploit favorable environmental conditions, emerging from seed to establish itself quickly before concluding its reproductive cycle.

Life form :

therophyte

Lifecycle :

annual

Morphology

The morphology of Bidens bidentata is characterized by its growth form as a non-woody herb, manifesting as a self-supporting plant that does not require climbing structures. As a terrestrial species, it functions as an independent organism, neither acting as a parasite nor an epiphyte. The plant typically reaches a height ranging from a minimum of 0.4 m to a maximum of 1.5 m, with a mean height of approximately 1.2 m. Its structural development is consistently herbaceous, lacking woody tissue throughout its form.

Aquatic :

terrestrial

Climber :

self-supporting

Epiphyte :

terrestrial

Growth form :

herb

Parasite :

independent

Plant height max:

1.5 m

Plant height mean:

1.2 m

Plant height min:

0.4 m

Woodiness :

non-woody

Physiology

The physiology of Bidens bidentata is characterized by specific morphological dimensions and metabolic traits that define its vegetative growth. The leaves exhibit a significant range in size, with a minimum length of 2 cm and a mean length of 4.5 cm, reaching a maximum length of up to 7 cm. In terms of breadth, the leaf width fluctuates between a minimum of 1 cm and a maximum of 2.5 cm. Structurally, the plant is non-succulent, indicating a lack of specialized water-storage tissue within its foliage. Furthermore, the species does not function as a nitrogen fixer, meaning it relies on the uptake of available nitrogen from the soil through its root system rather than through symbiotic relationships with nitrogen-fixing bacteria.

Leaf length max:

7 cm

Leaf length mean:

4.5 cm

Leaf length min:

2 cm

Leaf width max:

2.5 cm

Leaf width min:

1 cm

Nitrogen fixer :

no

Succulence :

no

Reproduction

The reproduction of Bidens biternata is characterized by a specific phenological cycle and specialized biotic interactions. The flowering period typically begins in July and extends through October, though the timing can be variable. During the reproductive phase, the plant utilizes a biotic pollination syndrome, relying specifically on insects, with bees serving as a primary pollinator. Following successful pollination, the plant produces fruits that vary in size; the fruit length ranges from a minimum of 0.9 cm to a maximum of 1.9 cm, with an average length of 1.4 cm, while the fruit width remains consistent at approximately 0.1 cm. The resulting seeds are quite small, exhibiting a mean mass of 0.003025 g, with individual seed masses ranging from a minimum of 0.00135 g to a maximum of 0.0047 g. Finally, the dispersal of these seeds follows an anthropochorous syndrome, indicating that human activity plays a role in the movement and distribution of the species.

Dispersal syndrome :

anthropochorous

Flowering time :

Jul

Flowering time :

Oct

Fruit length max:

1.9 cm

Fruit length mean:

1.4 cm

Fruit length min:

0.9 cm

Fruit width max:

0.1 cm

Pollination syndrome :

insect

Pollination syndrome :

bee

Pollination syndrome :

biotic

Seed mass max:

0.0047 g

Seed mass mean:

0.003025 g

Seed mass min:

0.00135 g

Sources: Global Inventory of Floras and Traits (GIFT)

Chemicals

Bidens biternata has 5 reported phytochemicals identified across 0 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported chemicals include Flavonoids, Oxalates, Phenols, Saponins, Tannins.

Flavonoids

1. Molecules (Basel, Switzerland)

Oxalates

1. Molecules (Basel, Switzerland)

Phenols

1. Molecules (Basel, Switzerland)

Saponins

1. Molecules (Basel, Switzerland)

Tannins

1. Molecules (Basel, Switzerland)

Preparations

Bidens biternata has 2 reported preparations identified across 0 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported preparations include extracts, freeze dried extracts.

Extracts

1. Journal of ethnopharmacology

Freeze dried extracts

1. Journal of ethnopharmacology