Bidens populifolia is an erect, slightly suffrutescent perennial herb, reaching a height of 0.5-0.8 meters. The leaves are simple, though occasionally a few trifoliolate leaves can be found on vigorous stems. The leaves are typically 5-20 cm long, including the petiole, with ovate-cordate blades measuring 3.5-7.5 cm long and 3-5 cm wide. The leaf surfaces are glabrous, with crenate margins and subcordate bases to obliquely truncate. The flowers are arranged in heads numbering 10-20, forming diffuse compound cymes that terminate the main stem and lateral branches. Each head, including the ray florets, is 3.5-4.5 cm in diameter. Peduncles are 3-11 cm long and glabrous. The outer involucral bracts measure 2-3.5-5.5 mm long, with the inner ones distinct. The heads feature 6-9 sterile, yellow ray florets, each 20-25 mm long and 7-10 mm wide. There are also 19-28 disk florets per head, perfect or female, with yellow corollas. The pappus consists of 2 awns 0.5-1 mm long or may be absent. The fruit is a simple, dry achene (cypsela) that is black, straight or slightly curved, wingless, and measures 7-15 mm long and 0.9-1.3 mm wide, with setose margins. It occurs in moist shrublands and forests, particularly on exposed windswept ridges and cliffs.
Bean-shaped (Reniform): Resembling the shape of a kidney or bean.
Square or Oblong: Angular shape with all sides more or less equal or longer than wide.
Triangular: Three-sided shape, broadest below the middle.
Elliptic: Rounded at both ends. shaped like an ellipse or oval.
Ovate or Obovate: egg-shaped, broader at one end.
Linear: Extremely long and narrow, with sides usually parallel.
Round: Appears circular, with length and width roughly the same.
Cardioid (Heart-Shaped): One edge has a prominent double curve into two lobes.
Cylindrical: A cylinder with parallel sides and a circular cross-section.
Discoid: Resembling a disc or plate with two relatively flat surfaces.
Fusiform: Spindle-shaped, tapering at both ends.
Globose: Spherical.
Lenticular: Resembling a lens with two convex surfaces.
Ovoid: Egg-shaped.
Plano-convex: Having a flat ventral (planar) surface and a curved dorsal (convex) surface.
Polygonal: Having more than three flat faces meeting at angles.
Sectoroid: Resembling a segment of an orange with two relatively flat faces and one curved face.
Subglobose/ellipsoid: Inflated shape but less than spherical.
Trigonous: Having three faces that meet at a distinct angle; triangular in cross-section.
Endangered species (E) are species that are so rare they’re in danger of becoming extinct.
Threatened species (T) are species that are likely to become endangered within the foreseeable future throughout all or a significant portion of their range.
Species of Concern (SOC) are species about which there are some concerns regarding status and threats, but insufficient information is available to list the species under the Endangered Species Act (ESA).
Plant Extinction Prevention (PEP) is a state status for rare plants that focuses its efforts on species that have fewer than 50 remaining wild individuals.
Orthodox seeds (desiccation-tolerant): can be dried to an internal seed moisture of less than 12% water and stored at freezing temperatures.
Intermediate seeds (temperature-sensitive) tend to age faster than orthodox seeds and may have only a 5-year lifespan when stored at -20°C. They are recommended for storage at 5°C.
Recalcitrant seeds (desiccation-sensitive): cannot be stored in a conventional freezer as they cannot survive after drying and/or freezing at -20°C. They are recommended for cryopreservation storage.