Echinacea purpurea

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Echinacea purpurea
Echinacea purpurea Grandview Prairie.jpg
At a prairie preserve in southwest Arkansas
Status TNC G4.svg
Apparently Secure  (NatureServe) [1]
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Asterids
Order: Asterales
Family: Asteraceae
Genus: Echinacea
Species:
E. purpurea
Binomial name
Echinacea purpurea
Synonyms [2]
  • Brauneria purpurea(L.) Britton
  • Echinacea intermediaLindl. ex Paxton
  • Echinacea speciosa(Wender.) Paxton
  • Helichroa purpurea(L.) Raf.
  • Rudbeckia purpureaL.

Echinacea purpurea, the eastern purple coneflower, [3] purple coneflower, hedgehog coneflower, or echinacea, is a North American species of flowering plant in the family Asteraceae. [4] It is native to parts of eastern North America [5] and present to some extent in the wild in much of the eastern, southeastern and midwestern United States as well as in the Canadian Province of Ontario. It is most common in the Ozarks and in the Mississippi/Ohio Valley. [6] [7] Its habitats include dry open woods, prairies and barrens.

Contents

Taxonomy

Echinacea is derived from Greek, meaning 'spiny one', in reference to the spiny sea urchins 'εχίνοι' which the ripe flower heads of species of this genus resemble. The epithet purpurea means 'reddish-purple'. [8] Originally named Rudbeckia purpurea by Linnaeus in 1753 in Species plantarum 6, it was reclassified in 1794 by Conrad Moench, in a new genus named Echinacea purpurea (L.) Moench. In 1818, Thomas Nuttall describes a new variety that he named Rudbeckia purpurea var. serotina. Just two decades later, De Candolle raised him to the rank of species of the other genus Echinacea serotina (Nutt.) DC. (1836). [9] In 2002, Binns et al. discovered a misapplication of the name Echinacea purpurea(L.) Moench for the taxon correctly named Echinacea serotina(Nutt.) DC. in 1836. The authors proposed to retain the names not to cause confusion among gardeners and herbalists. [10] Other names include: Broad-leaved purple coneflower, Eastern Purple Coneflower, Hedgehog Coneflower, Echinacea.

Description

Echinacea purpurea is an herbaceous perennial up to 120 cm (47 in) tall by 25 cm (10 in) wide at maturity. Depending on the climate, it blooms throughout summer into autumn. Its cone-shaped flowering heads are usually, but not always, purple in the wild. Its individual flowers (florets) within the flower head are hermaphroditic, having both male and female organs in each flower. It is pollinated by butterflies and bees. The alternate leaves, borne by a petiole from 0 to 17 cm, are oval to lanceolate, 5-30 x 5-12 cm; the margin is tightened to toothed.

The inflorescence is a capitulum, 7 to 15 cm in diameter, formed by a prominent domed central protuberance consisting of multiple small yellow florets. These are surrounded by a ring of pink or purple ligulate florets. The tubular florets are hermaphrodite while the ligular florets are sterile. The involucral bracts are linear to lanceolate. The plant prefers well-drained soils in full sun. [3] The fruit is an achene, sought after by birds.

Cultivation

Plants raised outdoors Echinacea purpurea.JPG
Plants raised outdoors

Echinacea purpurea is grown as an ornamental plant in temperate regions. It is ideal for curbs, walkways or beds. The flowers can also go into the composition of fresh bouquets. Numerous cultivars have been developed for flower quality and plant form. [4] The plant grows in sun or light shade. [11] It thrives in either dry or moist soil and can tolerate drought once established. The cultivars 'Ruby Giant' [12] and 'Elbrook' [13] have gained the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit. [14]

Propagation

Echinacea purpurea is propagated either vegetatively or from seeds. [5] Useful vegetative techniques include division, root cuttings, and basal cuttings. Clumps can be divided, or broken into smaller bunches, which is normally done in the spring or autumn. Cuttings made from roots that are "pencil-sized" will develop into plants when started in late autumn or early winter. [4] Cuttings of basal shoots in the spring may be rooted when treated with rooting hormones, such as IBA at 1000 ppm. [15]

Seed germination occurs best with daily temperature fluctuations [5] or after stratification, [16] which help to end dormancy. Seeds may be started indoors in advance of the growing season or outdoors after the growing season has started.

Ecology

Many pollinators are attracted to E. purpea. Bees that are attracted to the flowers include bumblebees, sweat bees, honey bees, the sunflower leafcutter bee, and the mining bee Andrena helianthiformis. Butterflies that visit include monarchs, swallowtail butterflies, and sulphur butterflies. [17] Birds, particularly finches, eat the seeds and disperse them through their droppings. [18]

Slugs [5] and rabbits will also eat the foliage when young, or shortly after emerging in the spring. [19] Additionally, roots can be damaged and eaten by gophers. [6]

Chemistry

Echinacea purpurea contains alkamides, caffeic acid derivatives, polysaccharides, and glycoproteins. [20] Nicotiflorin is the dominant flavonoid in E. purpurea, followed by the flavonoid rutin. [21]

Traditional medicine

Native Americans used the plant as traditional medicine to treat many ailments. [22]

Related Research Articles

<i>Echinacea</i> Genus of flowering plants in the daisy family Asteraceae

Echinacea is a genus of herbaceous flowering plants in the daisy family. It has ten species, which are commonly called coneflowers. They are found only in eastern and central North America, where they grow in moist to dry prairies and open wooded areas. They have large, showy heads of composite flowers, blooming in summer. The generic name is derived from the Greek word ἐχῖνος, meaning "hedgehog", due to the spiny central disk. These flowering plants and their parts have different uses. Some species are cultivated in gardens for their showy flowers. Two of the species, E. tennesseensis and E. laevigata, were formerly listed in the United States as endangered species; E. tennesseensis has been delisted due to recovery and E. laevigata is now listed as threatened.

<i>Rudbeckia hirta</i> Species of flowering plant

Rudbeckia hirta, commonly called black-eyed Susan, is a North American flowering plant in the family Asteraceae, native to Eastern and Central North America and naturalized in the Western part of the continent as well as in China. It has now been found in all 10 Canadian Provinces and all 48 of the states in the contiguous United States.

<i>Echinacea angustifolia</i> Species of flowering plant

Echinacea angustifolia, the narrow-leaved purple coneflower or blacksamson echinacea, is a species of flowering plant in the family Asteraceae. It is native to North America, where it is widespread across much of the Great Plains of central Canada and the central United States, with additional populations in surrounding regions.

<i>Rudbeckia</i> Genus of flowering plants in the daisy family Asteraceae

Rudbeckia is a plant genus in the Asteraceae or composite family. Rudbeckia flowers feature a prominent, raised central disc in black, brown shades of green, and in-between tones, giving rise to their familiar common names of coneflowers and black-eyed-susans. All are native to North America, and many species are cultivated in gardens for their showy yellow or gold flower heads that bloom in mid to late summer.

<i>Rudbeckia laciniata</i> Species of flowering plant

Rudbeckia laciniata, the cutleaf coneflower, is a species of flowering plant in the family Asteraceae. It is native to North America, where it is widespread in both Canada and the United States. Its natural habitat is wet sites in flood plains, along stream banks, and in moist forests. Common names other than cutleaf coneflower include cutleaf, goldenglow, green-headed coneflower, tall coneflower, sochan and thimbleweed.

<i>Dracopis</i> Genus of flowering plants

Dracopis is a monotypic genus with Dracopis amplexicaulis the sole species. It is native to North America.

<i>Echinacea tennesseensis</i> Species of flowering plant

Echinacea tennesseensis, also known as the Tennessee coneflower or Tennessee purple coneflower, is a flowering plant in the family Asteraceae, endemic to the cedar glades of the central portion of the U.S. state of Tennessee.

<i>Rudbeckia fulgida</i> Species of flowering plant

Rudbeckia fulgida, the orange coneflower or perennial coneflower, is a species of flowering plant in the family Asteraceae, native to eastern North America.

<i>Rudbeckia triloba</i> Species of flowering plant

Rudbeckia triloba, the browneyed or brown-eyed susan, thin-leaved coneflower or three-leaved coneflower, is a species of flowering plant in the family Asteraceae with numerous, yellow, daisy-like flowers. It is native to the central and eastern United States and is often seen in old fields or along roads. It is also cultivated as an ornamental.

<i>Echinacea laevigata</i> Species of flowering plant

Echinacea laevigata, the smooth purple coneflower, is a federally listed threatened species of plant found in the Piedmont of the eastern United States. Most populations are found on roadsides and other open areas with plenty of sunlight, often on calcium- and magnesium- rich soils.

<i>Ipomoea indica</i> Species of flowering plant

Ipomoea indica is a species of flowering plant in the family Convolvulaceae, known by several common names, including blue morning glory, oceanblue morning glory, koali awa, and blue dawn flower. It bears heart-shaped or three-lobed leaves and purple or blue funnel-shaped flowers 6–8 cm (2–3 in) in diameter, from spring to autumn. The flowers produced by the plant are hermaphroditic. This plant has gained the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit.

<i>Echinacea atrorubens</i> Species of flowering plant

Echinacea atrorubens, called the Topeka purple coneflower, is a North American species of flowering plant in the family Asteraceae. It is native to eastern Kansas, Oklahoma, and eastern Texas in the south-central United States. It is found growing in dry soils around limestone or sandstone outcroppings and prairies.

<i>Echinacea pallida</i> Species of flowering plant

Echinacea pallida, the pale purple coneflower, is a species of herbaceous perennial plant in the family Asteraceae. It is sometimes grown in gardens and used for medicinal purposes. Its native range is the central region of the United States and Ontario, Canada.

<i>Echinacea simulata</i> Species of flowering plant

Echinacea simulata, commonly called wavy leaf purple coneflower, glade coneflower, or prairie purple coneflower, is a species of perennial flowering plant in the family Asteraceae. It is native to the east-central states of the United States. Its natural habitat is dry, calcareous, open areas such as barrens and woodlands.

<i>Echinacea paradoxa</i> Species of flowering plant

Echinacea paradoxa, the yellow coneflower, Bush's purple coneflower, or Ozark coneflower, is a North American species of flowering plant in the family Asteraceae. It is native to southern Missouri, Arkansas, and south-central Oklahoma, It is listed as threatened in Arkansas.

<i>Symphyotrichum lateriflorum</i> Species of flowering plant in the family Asteraceae native to central and eastern North America

Symphyotrichum lateriflorum is a species of flowering plant in the aster family (Asteraceae). Commonly known as calico aster, starved aster, and white woodland aster, it is native to eastern and central North America. It is a perennial and herbaceous plant that may reach heights up to 120 centimeters and widths up to 30 centimeters.

<i>Zinnia elegans</i> Species of flowering plant

Zinnia elegans known as youth-and-age, common zinnia or elegant zinnia, is an annual flowering plant in the family Asteraceae. It is native to Mexico but grown as an ornamental in many places and naturalised in several places, including scattered locations in South and Central America, the West Indies, the United States, Australia, and Italy.

Echinacea serotina, the narrow-leaved purple coneflower or blacksamson echinacea, is a species of flowering plant in the family Asteraceae. It is native to the states of Arkansas and Louisiana in the United States. The species is sometimes listed as being found only in Louisiana, but the type collection was made in Arkansas, part of Louisiana at the time.

Eastern coneflower is a common name for several plants and may refer to:

<i>Rudbeckia texana</i> Species of flowering plant

Rudbeckia texana, commonly known at Texas coneflower or shiny coneflower, is a perennial plant in the family Asteraceae native to the Western Gulf coastal grasslands of Texas and Louisiana.

References

  1. "NatureServe Explorer 2.0". explorer.natureserve.org. Retrieved 2023-04-07.
  2. The Plant List, Echinacea purpurea (L.) Moench
  3. 1 2 "Eastern purple coneflower, Echinacea purpurea (Linnaeus) Moench, Methodus. 591. 1794". Flora of North America.
  4. 1 2 3 Zimmerman B. "Echinacea: Not always a purple coneflower". Gardening. Archived from the original on 2016-03-04. Retrieved 2009-08-26.
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  6. 1 2 "Echinacea purpurea (L.) Moench (eastern purple coneflower)". PLANTS Profile. United States Department of Agriculture Natural Resources Conservation Service . Retrieved 2007-06-07.
  7. "2014 county distribution map of Echinacea purpurea". The Biota of North America Program.
  8. Gledhill D (2008). The Names of Plants . Cambridge University Press. pp.  149, 321. ISBN   9780521866453.
  9. He Y, Kaarlas M (2014). "Popularity, Diversity and Quality of Echinacea". In Miller SC, Yu H (eds.). Echinacea: The genus Echinacea. CRC Press.
  10. Binns SE, et al. (2014). Miller SC, Yu H (eds.). Echinacea: The genus Echinacea. CRC Press.
  11. Midgley JW (1999). Southeastern Wildflowers: Your complete guide to plant communities, identification, and traditional uses. Crane Hill Publishers. ISBN   978-1-57587-106-6.
  12. "RHS Plant Selector - Echinacea purpurea 'Ruby Giant'" . Retrieved 4 June 2020.
  13. "RHS Plantfinder - Echinacea 'Elbrook'" . Retrieved 4 June 2020.
  14. "AGM Plants - Ornamental" (PDF). Royal Horticultural Society. July 2017. p. 33. Retrieved 6 February 2018.
  15. Carey D, Avent T. "Echinacea Explosion - The Purple Coneflower Chronicles". Plant Delights Nursery Article. Plant Delights Nursery. Retrieved 2015-07-12.
  16. USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service. Eastern Purple Coneflower (Echinacea purpurea)
  17. The Xerxes Society (2016). 100 Plants to Feed the Bees. Storey Publishing. p. 87. ISBN   978-1-61212-886-3.
  18. "Echinacea purpurea". bioweb.uwlax.edu.
  19. "Echinacea – How To Grow Purple Coneflower". Growit Buildit. 2018-09-16. Retrieved 25 September 2018.[ permanent dead link ]
  20. Manayi A, Vazirian M, Saeidnia S (2015). "Echinacea purpurea: Pharmacology, phytochemistry and analysis methods". Pharmacognosy Reviews. 9 (17): 63–72. doi: 10.4103/0973-7847.156353 . PMC   4441164 . PMID   26009695.
  21. Kurkin, V. A.; Akushskaya, A. S.; Avdeeva, E. V.; Velmyaikina, E. I.; Daeva, E. D.; Kadentsev, V. I. (2011-12-01). "Flavonoids from Echinacea purpurea". Russian Journal of Bioorganic Chemistry. 37 (7): 905–906. doi:10.1134/S1068162011070120. ISSN   1608-330X. S2CID   30930227.
  22. "Echinacea". Drugs.com. 8 April 2021. Retrieved 16 September 2021.