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Echinacea Facts
By peace | April 18, 2007
Echinacea is a genus consisting of nine species of flowering plants in the Family Asteraceae, all native to eastern North America. There are nine known species of echinacea, all of which are native to the United States and southern Canada. The most commonly used, Echinacea purpurea, is believed to be the most potent.
Common Names: echinacea, purple coneflower, coneflower, American coneflower
Latin Names: Echinacea purpurea, Echinacea angustifolia, Echinacea pallida
Kingdom Plantae
Division Magnoliophyta
Class Magnoliopsida
Order Asterales
Family Asteraceae
Tribe Heliantheae
Genus Echinacea
Echinacea is an herb which is very popular for use in treatment of colds and flu. The genus name is derived from the Greek echino, meaning “spiny”, due to the spiny central disk. Also known as American Coneflower, Echinacea was used for centuries by native Americans before the arrival of European explorers. In the 1800s, use of Echinacea took off in the United States and the herb became popular in Europe as well. Echinacea is used in many Western nations because it is believed that the herb promotes immune system health and minimizes some of the symptoms of sickness.
Picture of Echinacea paradoxa (Yellow Coneflower, Bush’s Purple Coneflower):
A native of the Ozark mountains of Arkansas and Missouri, this unusual Echinacea has a striking yellow Coneflower sporting a nice, heavy center cone surrounded by delicate, reflexed, lemon-yellow petals. Grows to 2-3 feet. Attracts bees and butterflies.
Echinacea is a perennial plant. They are herbaceous, drought-tolerant perennial plants growing to 1 or 2 m in height. The leaves are lanceolate to elliptic, 10-20 cm long and 1.5-10 cm broad. Like all Asteraceae, the flowers are a composite inflorescence, with purple (rarely yellow or white) florets arranged in a prominent, somewhat cone-shaped head; “cone-shaped” because the petals of the outer ray florets tend to point downward (are reflexed) once the flower head opens, thus forming a cone.
Picture of Echinacea laevigata( Smooth Coneflower, Smooth Purple Coneflower)
Three species of Echinacea are used for medicinal purposes: Echinacea angustifolia (Narrow-leaf Coneflower), Echinacea pallida (Pale Purple Coneflower), and Echinacea purpurea (Purple Coneflower, Eastern Purple Coneflower). Other species includes Echinacea atrorubens (Topeka Purple Coneflower), Echinacea laevigata( Smooth Coneflower, Smooth Purple Coneflower), Echinacea paradoxa (Yellow Coneflower, Bush’s Purple Coneflower), Echinacea singuinea (Singuine Purple Coneflower), Echinacea simulata (Wavyleaf Purple Coneflower), Echinacea tennesseensis (Tennessee Coneflower)
Picture of Echinacea tennesseensis (Tennessee Coneflower)
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