Herbaceous flowering plants in the daisy Family. They are endemic to eastern and central North America, where they are found growing in moist to dry prairies and open wooded areas. They have large, showy heads of composite flowers, blooming from early to late summer. The generic name is derived from the Greek word, echino, meaning "spiny," due to the spiny central disk. Some species are used in herbal medicines and some are cultivated in gardens for their showy flowers. Echinacea species are herbaceous, drought -tolerant perennial plants growing up to 140 cm in height. They grow from taproots, except E. purpurea, which grows from a short caudice with fibrous roots. They have erect stems that in most species are unbranched. Both the basal and cauline leaves are arranged alternately. The leaves are normally hairy with a rough texture, having uniseriate trichomes (1 - 4 rings of cells) but sometimes they lack hairs. The flowers are collected together into single rounded heads that terminate long peduncles. All species have phenolic compounds called, cichoric acid and caftaric acid. other phenols include echinacoside, which is found in greater levels within E. angustifolia and E. pallida roots than in other species. Other chemical constituents include alkylamides and polysaccharides.
Product Details - Botanical Name: Species of Echinacea
- Family Name: Asteraceae
- Common Names: Echinacea, purple coneflower, coneflower, American coneflower
- Part Used: Flowers
- Product offered: Flowers, Extract
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