Black-Jack

Bidens pilosa is an annual herb in the daisy family. Its many common names include hitch hikers, black-jack, beggarticks, farmer's friends and Spanish needle, but it is most commonly called cobblers pegs. It is native to the Americas and widely introduced elsewhere, including Africa, and is classed as invasive in some regions. It is a branched annual that grows up to 1.8 metres tall and spreads aggressively on disturbed land, so it is mostly regarded as a weed. Even so, it is a source of food and alternative medicine in many parts of the world: the leaves have a resinous flavour and are eaten raw, in stews or dried. In eastern Africa it is used to treat wounds, and in southern Africa extracts are used for malaria. In Zulu traditional medicine, where it is called uMhlabangubo, water from boiled roots is drunk to treat infertility in women, and bathing in water in which the leaves have been soaked is believed to protect from evil spirits, ill feeling, jealousy and animosity.