Taxon: Bidens alba (L.) DC. var. radiata (Sch. Bip.) R. E. Ballard ex Melchert

Summary

Genus:

Bidens

Family:

Asteraceae (alt. Compositae)

Subfamily:

Asteroideae

Tribe:

Coreopsideae

Nomen number:

406918

Place of publication:

Phytologia 32:295. 1975

Verified:

11/22/1996 ARS Systematic Botanists.

Accessions:

0 (0 active, 0 available) in National Plant Germplasm System.

Other conspecific taxa

Bidens alba (L.) DC. (1 active accession[s])
Bidens alba (L.) DC. var. alba (0 active accession[s])

Autonyms (not in current use), synonyms and invalid designations

Basionym
Bidens pilosa L. var. radiata Sch. Bip.

No images

Conservation Status

Reference(s)

Acevedo-Rodríguez, P. et al. 1996. Flora of St. John, U.S. Virgin Islands. Mem. New York Bot. Gard. 78:1-581.
Ballard, R. 1986. Bidens pilosa complex (Asteraceae) in North and Central America. Amer. J. Bot. 73:1463.
Boggan, J. et al. 1997. Checklist of the plants of the Guianas, ed. 2 Note: lists as Bidens alba var. radiata (Sch. Bip.) R. E. Ballard
Correll, D. S. & H. B. Correll. 1982. Flora of the Bahama archipelago.
FNA Editorial Committee. 1993-. Flora of North America. Note: = Bidens pilosa L.
Howard, R. 1974-1989. Flora of the lesser Antilles. Note: = Bidens alba (L.) DC.
Huang, Y.-L. et al. 2012. Floral biology of Bidens pilosa var. radiata, an invasive plant in Taiwan. Bot. Stud. 53:501-507.
Liogier, H. A. & L. F. Martorell. 2000. Flora of Puerto Rico and adjacent islands: a systematic synopsis, ed. 2.
Proctor, G. R. 1984. Flora of the Cayman Islands. Kew Bulletin Additional Series XI.
Pruski, J. 1996. pers. comm. Note: re. common names
Rzedowski, J. & G. Rzedowski, eds. 1991-. Flora del Bajio y de regiones adyacentes.
Standley, P. C. & J. A. Steyermark. 1946-1976. Flora of Guatemala.
Steyermark, J. A. et al., eds. 1995-. Flora of the Venezuelan Guayana. Note: mentions; lists as Bidens alba var. radiata (Sch. Bip.) R. E. Ballard

Common names

Language	Name	Alternate name	note	seq	Citation
English	shepherd's-needle			1	Liogier, H. A. & L. F. Martorell. 2000. Flora of Puerto Rico and adjacent islands: a systematic synopsis, ed. 2.
English	Spanish-needle		as Bidens alba	1	Howard, R. 1974-1989. Flora of the lesser Antilles. Note: = Bidens alba (L.) DC.

Distribution

order_code	Status	Continent	Subcontinent	Country	State	Note	Reference
1	Native	Northern America	Northern Mexico	Mexico	San Luis Potosí		Rzedowski, J. & G. Rzedowski, eds. 1991-. Flora del Bajio y de regiones adyacentes.
1	Native	Northern America	Northern Mexico	Mexico	Tamaulipas	s.e.	Ballard, R. 1986. Bidens pilosa complex (Asteraceae) in North and Central America. Amer. J. Bot. 73:1463.
1	Native	Northern America	Southeastern U.S.A.	United States	Florida		FNA Editorial Committee. 1993-. Flora of North America. Note: = Bidens pilosa L.
1	Native	Northern America	Southern Mexico	Mexico	Campeche		Ballard, R. 1986. Bidens pilosa complex (Asteraceae) in North and Central America. Amer. J. Bot. 73:1463.
1	Native	Northern America	Southern Mexico	Mexico	Chiapas		Ballard, R. 1986. Bidens pilosa complex (Asteraceae) in North and Central America. Amer. J. Bot. 73:1463.
1	Native	Northern America	Southern Mexico	Mexico	Hidalgo		Ballard, R. 1986. Bidens pilosa complex (Asteraceae) in North and Central America. Amer. J. Bot. 73:1463.
1	Native	Northern America	Southern Mexico	Mexico	Oaxaca		Ballard, R. 1986. Bidens pilosa complex (Asteraceae) in North and Central America. Amer. J. Bot. 73:1463.
1	Native	Northern America	Southern Mexico	Mexico	Puebla		Ballard, R. 1986. Bidens pilosa complex (Asteraceae) in North and Central America. Amer. J. Bot. 73:1463.
1	Native	Northern America	Southern Mexico	Mexico	Querétaro		Rzedowski, J. & G. Rzedowski, eds. 1991-. Flora del Bajio y de regiones adyacentes.
1	Native	Northern America	Southern Mexico	Mexico	Quintana Roo		Rzedowski, J. & G. Rzedowski, eds. 1991-. Flora del Bajio y de regiones adyacentes.
1	Native	Northern America	Southern Mexico	Mexico	Tabasco		Ballard, R. 1986. Bidens pilosa complex (Asteraceae) in North and Central America. Amer. J. Bot. 73:1463.
1	Native	Northern America	Southern Mexico	Mexico	Veracruz de Ignacio de la Llave		Ballard, R. 1986. Bidens pilosa complex (Asteraceae) in North and Central America. Amer. J. Bot. 73:1463.
1	Native	Northern America	Southern Mexico	Mexico	Yucatán		Ballard, R. 1986. Bidens pilosa complex (Asteraceae) in North and Central America. Amer. J. Bot. 73:1463.
1	Native	Southern America	Caribbean	Bahamas			Correll, D. S. & H. B. Correll. 1982. Flora of the Bahama archipelago.
1	Native	Southern America	Caribbean	Cayman Islands	Grand Cayman		Proctor, G. R. 1984. Flora of the Cayman Islands. Kew Bulletin Additional Series XI.
1	Native	Southern America	Caribbean	Cuba			León (J. S. Sauget) & Alain (E. E. Liogier). 1946-1969. Flora de Cuba
1	Native	Southern America	Caribbean	Dominica			Howard, R. 1974-1989. Flora of the lesser Antilles. Note: = Bidens alba (L.) DC.
1	Native	Southern America	Caribbean	Jamaica			Adams, C. 1972. Flowering plants of Jamaica
1	Native	Southern America	Caribbean	St. Lucia			Howard, R. 1974-1989. Flora of the lesser Antilles. Note: = Bidens alba (L.) DC.
1	Native	Southern America	Caribbean	St. Vincent and Grenadines			Howard, R. 1974-1989. Flora of the lesser Antilles. Note: = Bidens alba (L.) DC.
1	Native	Southern America	Caribbean	United States	Puerto Rico		Liogier, H. A. & L. F. Martorell. 2000. Flora of Puerto Rico and adjacent islands: a systematic synopsis, ed. 2.
1	Native	Southern America	Caribbean	United States	Virgin Islands, U.S.		Acevedo-Rodríguez, P. et al. 1996. Flora of St. John, U.S. Virgin Islands. Mem. New York Bot. Gard. 78:1-581.
1	Native	Southern America	Central America	Guatemala			Standley, P. C. & J. A. Steyermark. 1946-1976. Flora of Guatemala.
1	Native	Southern America	Central America	Honduras			Standley, P. C. & J. A. Steyermark. 1946-1976. Flora of Guatemala.
1	Native	Southern America	Northern South America	French Guiana			Boggan, J. et al. 1997. Checklist of the plants of the Guianas, ed. 2 Note: lists as Bidens alba var. radiata (Sch. Bip.) R. E. Ballard
1	Native	Southern America	Northern South America	Guyana			Boggan, J. et al. 1997. Checklist of the plants of the Guianas, ed. 2 Note: lists as Bidens alba var. radiata (Sch. Bip.) R. E. Ballard
1	Native	Southern America	Northern South America	Venezuela
1	Native	Southern America	Western South America	Peru	Cusco		Brako, L. & J. L. Zarucchi. 1993. Catalogue of the flowering plants and gymnosperms of Peru. Monogr. Syst. Bot. Missouri Bot. Gard. 45
1	Native	Southern America	Western South America	Peru	Huánuco		Brako, L. & J. L. Zarucchi. 1993. Catalogue of the flowering plants and gymnosperms of Peru. Monogr. Syst. Bot. Missouri Bot. Gard. 45
1	Native	Southern America	Western South America	Peru	Lima		Brako, L. & J. L. Zarucchi. 1993. Catalogue of the flowering plants and gymnosperms of Peru. Monogr. Syst. Bot. Missouri Bot. Gard. 45
1	Native	Southern America	Western South America	Peru	San Martín		Brako, L. & J. L. Zarucchi. 1993. Catalogue of the flowering plants and gymnosperms of Peru. Monogr. Syst. Bot. Missouri Bot. Gard. 45
4	Naturalized					natzd. elsewhere

Native
Northern America

SOUTHEASTERN U.S.A.: United States [Florida]
NORTHERN MEXICO: Mexico [San Luis Potosí, Tamaulipas (s.e.)]
SOUTHERN MEXICO: Mexico [Campeche, Chiapas, Hidalgo, Oaxaca, Puebla, Querétaro, Quintana Roo, Tabasco, Veracruz de Ignacio de la Llave, Yucatán]

Southern America

CARIBBEAN: Bahamas, Cuba, Cayman Islands [Grand Cayman], Dominica, Jamaica, St. Lucia, United States [Puerto Rico, Virgin Islands, U.S.], St. Vincent and Grenadines
CENTRAL AMERICA: Guatemala, Honduras
NORTHERN SOUTH AMERICA: French Guiana, Guyana, Venezuela
WESTERN SOUTH AMERICA: Peru [Cusco, Huánuco, Lima, San Martín]

Naturalized (natzd. elsewhere)

Reference(s)

Acevedo-Rodríguez, P. et al. 1996. Flora of St. John, U.S. Virgin Islands. Mem. New York Bot. Gard. 78:1-581.
Adams, C. 1972. Flowering plants of Jamaica
Ballard, R. 1986. Bidens pilosa complex (Asteraceae) in North and Central America. Amer. J. Bot. 73:1463.
Boggan, J. et al. 1997. Checklist of the plants of the Guianas, ed. 2 Note: lists as Bidens alba var. radiata (Sch. Bip.) R. E. Ballard
Brako, L. & J. L. Zarucchi. 1993. Catalogue of the flowering plants and gymnosperms of Peru. Monogr. Syst. Bot. Missouri Bot. Gard. 45
Correll, D. S. & H. B. Correll. 1982. Flora of the Bahama archipelago.
FNA Editorial Committee. 1993-. Flora of North America. Note: = Bidens pilosa L.
Howard, R. 1974-1989. Flora of the lesser Antilles. Note: = Bidens alba (L.) DC.
León (J. S. Sauget) & Alain (E. E. Liogier). 1946-1969. Flora de Cuba
Liogier, H. A. & L. F. Martorell. 2000. Flora of Puerto Rico and adjacent islands: a systematic synopsis, ed. 2.
Proctor, G. R. 1984. Flora of the Cayman Islands. Kew Bulletin Additional Series XI.
Rzedowski, J. & G. Rzedowski, eds. 1991-. Flora del Bajio y de regiones adyacentes.
Standley, P. C. & J. A. Steyermark. 1946-1976. Flora of Guatemala.

Economic Uses

Usage	Type	Note	Reference
Weed			Pruski, J. 1996. pers. comm. Note: re. common names
Weed			Huang, Y.-L. et al. 2012. Floral biology of Bidens pilosa var. radiata, an invasive plant in Taiwan. Bot. Stud. 53:501-507.

Cite as: USDA, Agricultural Research Service, National Plant Germplasm System. 2026. Germplasm Resources Information Network (GRIN Taxonomy). National Germplasm Resources Laboratory, Beltsville, Maryland.
URL: https://npgstest.ars-grin.gov/gringlobal/taxon/taxonomydetail?id=406918. Accessed 12 May 2026.