# What do you guys think of this weed



## paper_boy (Dec 7, 2011)

Bidens alba

Common Names: shepherd's needles, Spanish needles, Bidens pilosa (syn), butterfly needles, hairy beggarticks, beggarticks
Family: Asteraceae/Compositae (aster/daisy Family).

Habitats 
Cultivated Beds;
Edible Uses 
Edible Parts: Leaves; Tea.

Leaves - raw or cooked[177]. A resinous flavour[173]. Added to salads or steamed and added to soups and stews, they can also be dried for later use[183].A good source of iodine[272]. A nutritional analysis is available[218]. Young shoot tips are used to make a tea[177].

Composition: 
Figures in grams (g) or miligrams (mg) per 100g of food.	
Leaves (Dry weight)	
295 Calories per 100g
Water : 0%
Protein: 24.5g; Fat: 4g; Carbohydrate: 56.4g; Fibre: 12.1g; Ash: 15.1g;
Minerals - Calcium: 1721mg; Phosphorus: 273mg; Iron: 0mg; Magnesium: 0mg; Sodium: 11mg; Potassium: 267mg; Zinc: 0mg;
Vitamins - A: 12mg; Thiamine (B1): 0mg; Riboflavin (B2): 0mg; Niacin: 0mg; B6: 0mg; C: 0mg;

Known hazards:
The roots, leaves and flowers are strongly phototoxic, the achenes weakly so[218]. Substances isolated from the leaves can kill human skin in the presence of sunlight at concentrations as low as 10ppm[218].

My sources
http://www.pfaf.org/user/Plant.aspx?LatinName=Bidens+pilosa
http://www.floridata.com/ref/b/bide_alb.cfm


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## ascott (Dec 7, 2011)

My gut says I would not feed....


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## Redstrike (Dec 7, 2011)

ascott said:


> My gut says I would not feed....



agreed, it sounds a bit harsh (photo-toxin).


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## paper_boy (Dec 8, 2011)

Ok will not feed. I was under the impression that many toxins toxic to mammal are safe for reptile. Also, the sources also say that some people eat it and that the flowers are placed in salads. But the concensus is no, so i will follow

Thanks guys


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## Redstrike (Dec 9, 2011)

paper_boy said:


> Ok will not feed. I was under the impression that many toxins toxic to mammal are safe for reptile. Also, the sources also say that some people eat it and that the flowers are placed in salads. But the concensus is no, so i will follow
> 
> Thanks guys



You're right, mammals and reptiles have different tolerances to plant secondary defense compounds, I just wouldn't risk it. There are plenty of other weeds at your tortoises disposal:
http://www.thetortoisetable.org.uk/site/plant_database_14.asp

It sounds like those that do consume the plant cook it, which probably breaks down a lot of that photo-toxin.


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## paper_boy (Dec 10, 2011)

Redstrike said:


> You're right, mammals and reptiles have different tolerances to plant secondary defense compounds, I just wouldn't risk it. There are plenty of other weeds at your tortoises disposal:
> http://www.thetortoisetable.org.uk/site/plant_database_14.asp
> 
> It sounds like those that do consume the plant cook it, which probably breaks down a lot of that photo-toxin.



Yeah i saw that site. I even saved around a hundred pictures in my ipad and went to the garden store. They only have succulents, boston fern, prayer plant and hibiscus. I bought all four but my torts would always just eat the opuntia and hibiscus.


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## jackrat (Dec 10, 2011)

Oops! I thought this was a thread with Bill Clinton quotes.


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## N2TORTS (Dec 10, 2011)

I hear that just about everyday from the young guys on my crew ....I wonder if they have tort's too?


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