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Echinacea angustifolia
| Common name: |
Echinacea |
Family: |
Compositae |
| Author: |
DC. |
Botanical references: |
43, 200 |
| Synonyms: |
|
| Known Hazards: |
None known |
| Range: |
N. America - Manitoba, Saskatchewan and North Dakota south to Texas. |
| Habitat: |
Gravelly, sandy, and rocky dry limestone prairies and barrens[43, 274]. |
| Edibility Rating (1-5): |
0 | Medicinal Rating (1-5): | 5 |
| Other Possible Synonyms: | From various places across the web, may not be correct. See below. |
| Brauneria pallida[H]
|
| Other Common Names: | From various places around the Web, may not be correct. See below. |
| [S], Black Sampson [S,E,H], Black Sampson Coneflower [H], Blacksamson [B], Blacksamson Echinacea [P], Coneflower [E,H], Coneflower, Narrow-leaved [S], E Angustifolia, Var Angustifolia [S], Echinacea Angustifolia [S], Echinacea, Black Sampson [S], Echinacea, Kansas Snakeroot [S], Kansas Snakeroot [S], Narrowleaf Coneflower [H], Narrowleaved Coneflower [H], Narrowleaved Purple Conef [H], Niggerhead [H], Purple Coneflower [H,FEIS], Roter Sonnenhut [E], Rudbeckia [H], Rudbeckie Rouge [E], Snakeroot, Kansas [S], Zonnehoed [E], |
| Epithets: | From a Dictionary of Botanical Epithets |
|
angustifolia = narrow leaved;
|
| Systematics: | From a USDA Plants Database |
|
Order: Asterales. Renamed to Asteraceae -- Aster family
|
| Other Range Info: |
From the Ethnobotany Database |
|
France; Germany; Netherlands; Turkey; Us; Us(Amerindian); Us(Kiowa)
|
Physical Characteristics
Perennial growing to 1.2m by 0.45m . It is hardy to zone 3 and is not frost tender. It is in flower from July to August. The flowers are hermaphrodite (have both male and female organs) and are pollinated by Insects.
We rate it 0/5 for edibility and
5/5 for medicinal use.
The plant prefers light (sandy), medium (loamy) and heavy (clay) soils and requires well-drained soil.
The plant prefers acid, neutral and basic (alkaline) soils.
It cannot grow in the shade.
It requires dry or moist soil.
Habitats and Possible Locations
Cultivated Beds.Edible Uses
None known
Medicinal Uses
Disclaimer
Adaptogen; Alterative; Antiseptic; Depurative; Diaphoretic; Digestive; Sialagogue; Stings.
Echinacea is one of the world's most important medicinal herbs.
Research shows that it has the ability to raise the body's resistance to
bacterial and viral infections by stimulating the immune system[254]. It is
also antibiotic and helps to relieve allergies[254]. Plants in this genus
were probably the most frequently used of all North American Indian herbal
remedies. They had a very wide range of applications and many of these uses
have been confirmed by modern science. The plant has a general stimulatory
effect on the immune system and is widely used in modern herbal
treatments[222].
There has been some doubt over the ability of the body to absorb the
medicinally active ingredients orally (intravenous injections being
considered the only effective way to administer the plant), but recent
research has demonstrated significant absorption from orally administered
applications[222]. In Germany over 200 pharmaceutical preparations are made
from Echinacea[222]. The roots and the whole plant are considered
particularly beneficial in the treatment of sores, wounds, burns etc,
possessing cortisone-like and antibacterial activity[222]. The plant was used
by North American Indians as a universal application to treat the bites and
stings of all types of insects[213]. An infusion of the plant was also used
to treat snakebites[213].
The root is adaptogen, alterative, antiseptic, depurative, digestive,
sialagogue[4, 21, 61, 165]. It is harvested in the autumn and dried for later
use[238].
The plant has been used as a diaphoretic[213].
Other Uses
None known
Cultivation details
Prefers a deep rich loam with plenty of leafmold[1] and a sunny
position[175].
Closely related to E. pallida and included in that species by some
botanists[274].
Slugs love this plant[K].
Propagation
Seed - sow March/April in a greenhouse and only just cover the
seed[175, K]. Diurnal temperature fluctuations aid germination[175]. The seed
usually germinates in 10 - 21 days at 25°c[175]. Prick out the seedlings into
individual pots once they are large enough to handle and grow them on in the
greenhouse for the first summer. Plant them out in the late spring or early
summer of the following year and give them some protection from slugs at
least until they are established[K].
Division in spring or autumn[111]. Larger clumps can be replanted direct
into their permanent positions, though it is best to pot up smaller clumps
and grow them on in a cold frame until they are rooting well. Plant them out
in the spring.
Root cuttings, October in a frame[200].
Suppliers
For more details of plant suppliers please see our Suppliers Page which lists many more places to look.
Web References
- Details of Medicinal Uses, Habitats, etc. in M. Grieve A Modern Herbal (1931) [4]
- [H] Details of Scandanavian and European Common names in Henriette's names database
- [E] Ethnobotany Data
(common names, uses, countries) from the Ethnobotany Database.
- [V] Images
from the Vascular Plant Image Gallery of the Texas A&M Bioinformatics Working Group.
- [B] Data
(Latin & Common names, other references) from the BONAP's Synonymized Checklist of the Vascular Flora of the United States, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands.
- [S] Image
from the Southwest School of Botanical Medicine
- [S] Image
from the Southwest School of Botanical Medicine
- [S] Image
from the Southwest School of Botanical Medicine
- [S] SW USA Dist. Maps
from the Southwest School of Botanical Medicine
- [S] Image
from the Southwest School of Botanical Medicine
- [G] Data
(Common Names, Uses, Distribution) from the USDA/ARS NPGS's GRIN taxonomic database.
- [P] Data.
(uses, distribution, wetland) from the USDA'a Plants database.
- [S] Illustration
from the Southwest School of Botanical Medicine
- [FEIS] Data
(Uses, Ecology, Fire Effects) from the USDA Forestry Service Fire Effects Information System.
- [HP] Links, Photos, Suppliers from Hortiplex Plant Database
References for echinacea angustifolia (a possible synonym).
See the PFAF Links Pages for other sources.
Also try Photos and info from the The Plants Database which has 14,000 images.
[K] Ken Fern
Notes from observations, tasting etc at Plants For A Future and on field trips.
[1] F. Chittendon. RHS Dictionary of Plants plus Supplement. 1956 Oxford University Press 1951
Comprehensive listing of species and how to grow them. Somewhat outdated, it has been replaces in 1992 by a new dictionary (see [200]).
[4] Grieve. A Modern Herbal. Penguin 1984 ISBN 0-14-046-440-9
Not so modern (1930's?) but lots of information, mainly temperate plants.
[21] Lust. J. The Herb Book. Bantam books 1983 ISBN 0-553-23827-2
Lots of information tightly crammed into a fairly small book.
[43] Fernald. M. L. Gray's Manual of Botany. American Book Co. 1950
A bit dated but good and concise flora of the eastern part of N. America.
[61] Usher. G. A Dictionary of Plants Used by Man. Constable 1974 ISBN 0094579202
Forget the sexist title, this is one of the best books on the subject. Lists a very extensive range of useful plants from around the world with very brief details of the uses. Not for the casual reader.
[111] Sanders. T. W. Popular Hardy Perennials. Collingridge 1926
A fairly wide range of perennial plants that can be grown in Britain and how to grow them.
[165] Mills. S. Y. The Dictionary of Modern Herbalism.
An excellent small herbal.
[175] Bird. R. (Editor) Focus on Plants. Volume 5. (formerly 'Growing from seed') Thompson and Morgan. 1991
Very readable magazine with lots of information on propagation. A good article on Corydalis spp.
[200] Huxley. A. The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992. MacMillan Press 1992 ISBN 0-333-47494-5
Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed.
[213] Weiner. M. A. Earth Medicine, Earth Food. Ballantine Books 1980 ISBN 0-449-90589-6
A nice book to read though it is difficult to look up individual plants since the book is divided into separate sections dealing with the different medicinal uses plus a section on edible plants. Common names are used instead of botanical.
[222] Foster. S. & Duke. J. A. A Field Guide to Medicinal Plants. Eastern and Central N. America. Houghton Mifflin Co. 1990 ISBN 0395467225
A concise book dealing with almost 500 species. A line drawing of each plant is included plus colour photographs of about 100 species. Very good as a field guide, it only gives brief details about the plants medicinal properties.
[238] Bown. D. Encyclopaedia of Herbs and their Uses. Dorling Kindersley, London. 1995 ISBN 0-7513-020-31
A very well presented and informative book on herbs from around the globe. Plenty in it for both the casual reader and the serious student. Just one main quibble is the silly way of having two separate entries for each plant.
[254] Chevallier. A. The Encyclopedia of Medicinal Plants Dorling Kindersley. London 1996 ISBN 9-780751-303148
An excellent guide to over 500 of the more well known medicinal herbs from around the world.
Readers Comments
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Plant information taken from the
Plants For A Future -
Species Database.
Copyright (c) 1997-2003.
WEB search engine by Rich Morris - Home Page- Contact Info
Blagdon Cross, Ashwater, Beaworthy, Devon, EX21 5DF, UK.
Website: www.pfaf.org Phone: 0845 458 4719/_44(0) 1208 872963 This page (UK) http://www.comp.leeds.ac.uk/cgi-bin/pfaf/arr_html?Echinacea+angustifolia
This page (US) http://www.ibiblio.org/pfaf/cgi-bin/arr_html?Echinacea+angustifolia
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