Devil's Beggartick vs Big Devils Beggartick
This guide is under construction and has not been published yet. It may have errors. When in doubt, double-check other sources for definitive ID.These two species are visually-similar and easily confused in their large range of overlap. When blooming, they can often be distinguished by counting the bracts under each flowerhead.
Devil's Beggartick (Bidens frondosa) | Big Devils Beggartick (Bidens vulgata) |
 Calyculus (arrangement of bracts under each flowerhead) usually has about 8 bracts, rarely as few as 5 or as many as 10. Photo © Senna Bryce Robeson, CC BY 4.0. |  Calyculus usually has 10-16 bracts under each flowerhead, rarely as many as 21. Photo © Ryan Sorrells, CC BY 4.0. |
 Laminae (showy part of rays), if present at all (some flowerheads have no ray florets at all) are a richer golden-yellow color. Photo © Ryan Sorrells, CC BY 4.0. |  Laminae, if present at all (some flowerheads have no ray florets at all) are a paler yellow color. Photo © Bob, CC BY 4.0. |
 Disc florets average a more orangeish color, leading the total flowerheads to look more orangeish at a glance. Photo © Senna Bryce Robeson, CC BY 4.0. |  Disc florets average a more yellowish color, leading the flowerheads to look more orangeish at a glance. Photo © Jeff D Hansen, CC BY 4.0. |
 Leaves are almost always fully divided into 3-5 leaflets. Photo © Tom Scavo, CC BY 4.0. |  Although leaves on some plants are fully divided into 3-5 leaflets, some leaves are not-quite-separated into leaflets, instead with a pinnatisect or laciniate structure, with deeply-cut lobes that do not quite separate the sections fully into leaflets. Photo © Mary Krieger, CC BY 4.0. |
References & External Resources
These short lists show only links helpful for ID. For a complete list of references and resources also covering other aspects of ecology, visit the links section of the full article on each plant, which is the first entry here.
