Olive (Bidens aurea) is a species of American origin that is distributed from Arizona to Guatemala, although it can be found in other regions where it has been introduced. This plant belongs to the Asteraceae family and is commonly known as aceitilla, false tea, golden dry love, milpa tea, achochote, Castilian tea or orchard tea..
This plant is perennial with capitulated yellowish white flowers (inflorescences). Its stem has a herbaceous bearing and is green in color. They can be grown in fairly humid soils, so it is common to get them on the banks of irrigated land. It is a plant that does not tolerate contact with snow, but it does resist a minimum temperature of -5 ° C for a short time..
The size of this plant can be greater than 1.3 m high, reaching a maximum of 2 meters. It is a species used as an ornament, but is sometimes considered a weed in places where its cultivation has been introduced..
In addition, the olive has chemical properties such as flavonoids and has some uses as a medicinal plant ingested in the form of an infusion or tea. It is recommended for the treatment of chest diseases, as an analgesic, anti-inflammatory of the stomach, for the treatment of urinary diseases and for diabetes.
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The olive is a herbaceous, perennial and erect plant. It usually has long rhizomes. Its size can exceed 1.3 m up to a maximum of about 2 m.
The stem of this plant is simple, tetragonal, green and branched in the inflorescence. Generally devoid of pubescence.
The leaves of the upper part of the plant are practically sessile, but the leaves of the lower part do have petioles of about 4 cm long. The limbus is usually complete (without divisions), with a linear, elliptical or oblong shape; can be 4 to 22 cm long, and 4 to 30 mm wide, with acute or acuminate apex, and the margin is semi-serrated.
The flowers of this herbaceous species are chapters (inflorescences), in which the ligulate flowers in each inflorescence can be from 5 to 8. The blades are yellow or cream to white, with an oblong to obovate shape. They measure between 10 and 30 mm long.
On the other hand, the disk flowers (from 40 to 60), have yellow corollas that measure 4 to 6 mm in length, do not present trichomes and have anthers in a dark brown tone..
Consequently, the fruit of this herbaceous plant is a cipsela in the shape of a quadrangular nail and measures between 4 and 8 mm long, and 0.9 to 1.2 mm wide. Its color is dark brown or black. The vilano has 2 to 3 yellowish artists, about 1.2 to 2.5 mm long and they are barbed.
Usually forms horizontal assemblages (rhizomes).
The cotyledons of the seedlings are spatula-shaped and between 7 and 20 mm long by 2 to 3 mm wide. The leaves, on the other hand, are ovate or trilobed and measure between 3 and 7 mm long and 2 to 6 mm wide. They are hairless and their petioles at this stage are 3 to 6 mm long.
The scientific name of the olive is Bidens aurea, being described by Sherff in 1915. Its basionym is Coreopsis aurea Aiton.
It has several synonyms within which stand out: Bidens arguta, Bidens arguta var. luxurians, Bidens decolorata, Bidens heterophylla, Bidens longifolia, Bidens serrulata, Coreopsis nitida, Coreopsis lucida, Coreopsis tetragona, Diodonta aurea, Helianthus tetragonus, Kerneria ferulifolia.
The taxonomic classification of this species is:
Kingdom: Plantae
Class: Equisetopsida
Subclass: Magnoliidae
Superorder: Asteranae
Order: Asterales
Family: Asteraceae
Gender: Bidens L.
Species: Bidens aurea
The olive is a plant that can grow from sea level to approximately 2000 meters above sea level. It grows in areas with high rainfall (preferably 400 to 800 mm per year), but can also be maintained in dry conditions with a duration of between 3 and 5 months.
Light conditions must be high, as this plant requires direct exposure to the sun. However, you should receive a certain amount of shade per day; For this, it benefits from the vegetation that is around it, which must be thin, in addition to having rocks.
Regarding temperature, this species does not resist contact with snow, although it does resist occasional frosts, with temperatures around -5 ° C.
This plant is found in places such as: United States, Mexico, Guatemala, France, Spain (including the Balearic Islands and the Canary Islands), Italy, Portugal, Chile, Uruguay, Argentina, Morocco, Norway, Germany, Poland or Australia.
The exact chemical composition of this plant is not yet known. However, the presence of flavonoids has been reported.
In more recent studies, chemical compounds such as quinic acid, luteolin, tricetin, chalcones, taxifolin, isookanin, methylokanin, caffeic acid, decarboxylated caffeic acid or, in general, caffeoylquinic acids (chlorogenic acids) have been identified in these plants..
With regard to medicinal properties or uses, in some places, such as Mexico, the branches and leaves of this plant have been used to treat chest diseases. In turn, the use of the whole plant is recommended as an analgesic.
Also, this plant is used in case of stomach inflammation, or simply as a substitute for water. In addition, some extracts from the branches are used as purgatives..
Likewise, the use of this plant is recommended to treat urinary diseases, diabetes, intestinal pain and poor digestion..
On the other hand, in the countries where this plant has been introduced, it is not used as a medicinal but is considered as a weed or weed..
This plant is used to prepare infusions or tea. To do this, the leaves are dried and then cooked to later drink the brewed tea.
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