Picture:http://flowersinmedicine.wordpress.com/

Fall 2012 Ethno BotanyDr. K. Hartman

Echinacea-ConeflowersEchinacea purpurea (L)and its medicinal uses

Jolene Lockwood

IntroductionClassification

Habitat

Phenology

History

Medicinal uses

Local information

Works cited

Classification

Kingdom - Plantae – PlantsSubkingdom Tracheobionta – Vascular plantsSuperdivision Spermatophyta – Seed plantsDivision Magnoliophyta – Flowering plantsClass Magnoliopsida – DicotyledonsSubclass AsteridaeOrder AsteralesFamily Asteraceae – Aster familyGenus Echinacea Moench – purple coneflower

Where does Echinacea-Coneflowers grow?Grows in dry upland prairies, primarily in the Great Plains,

east of the Rocky Mountains from Texas to southwest Wisconsin, Missouri and Michigan.

Coneflower Phenology

Echinacea is a prairie perennial that grows strong upright stems that are topped by daisy-like flowers. Blooms July to September and is endemic to the central U.S.

Successive years brings more growth as the plants get larger and larger. Older plants have more blossoms which are taller with flowering stalks up to five feet tall. Purple coneflowers consist of light pink to deeper pink to lavender ray flowers and dark orange disc flowers. Some flower heads have petals that are distinctly swept back, while others mature to that position after having started out with a more horizontal look.

The cone of disc flowers starts out as a flat disc and as the outer disc flowers mature they grow in size which has the effect of pushing up the center of the disc, making the obligatory cone shape. When all the disc flowers have bloomed, the central disc truly is a cone-shaped coneflower. We leave the cones overwinter as they serve as a food source for goldfinches, cardinals and tufted mice.

Phenology Continued

HistoryEchinacea was used frequently by Native American Tribes for a wide variety of conditions. At least 14 tribes used Echinacea for ailments such as coughs, colds, sore throats, and infections. In 1887, Echinacea was introduced into U.S. medical practice, and it grew in popularity. By the early twentieth century Echinacea had become the top selling herb in America. However, with the discovery of penicillin and other "wonder drugs," the popularity of Echinacea eventually waned.

European growth and use of Echinacea grew extensively. Germany in particular took a great interest in the herb in the1930s Dr. Gerhard Madaus, began researching Echinacea. Madaus who is the founder of a leading herbal medicine manufacturer in Germany, came to the United States in search of seeds from Echinacea Angustifolia, the form of Echinacea most widely used at that time. However he returned to Germany with seeds from Echinacea purpurea instead of Echinacea angustifolia. By default Echinacea purpurea became the subject of modern pharmacological studies by Madaus. As a result of Germany's great interest in the herb some of the best scientific studies to date have taken place there.

Medicinal Uses

Echinacea is best known for its immune enhancing ability, but has proven very effective in many other areas as well:

Colds, coughs and flu and other upper respiratory conditions Enlarged lymph glands, sore throat, fevers Urinary tract infections, stomached Other minor infections May help combat herpes and candida Wounds, skin regeneration and skin infections (external use) Psoriasis, eczema and inflammatory skin conditions (external

use) Gingivitis, toothache, Snake bite, burns, painkiller

Echinacea stimulates the immune system and it promotes T-cell activation while it increases the activity of the immune system. It helps white blood cells attack germs and these effects may decrease if taken for more than a few weeks.

Medicinal Uses Continued

Photo from:www.horizonherbs.com

Ground root, macerated, ingested as tea or in edible pieces, boiled root liquid used for sore throat or rubbed on sore muscles or aching joints. Salves were made for direct application.

Roots of Echinacea was mixed with Mentzelia laevicaulis and boiled for tea to treat small pox.

Used as smoke treatment for headaches and horses distemper, Echinacea is available in capsules containing a powder of the dried plant or root, and also as a tincture. In some cases, people drink pressed juice from fresh plants. For treating skin conditions, special preparations containing pressed juice are used. In general, it should not be used for more than 1-2 weeks because it can lose its impact over time

Local InformationEchinacea-Coneflowers have a local importance to the community. The Arikara name for Echinacea is bitteroot pronounced kAskatit, in Hidatsa it is xubaariciria. For a Mandan translation I spoke to Corey Spotted Bear who consulted with Edwin Benson but He couldn’t remember how to pronounce it since he had not heard it spoken in a long time.

Bitteroot grows throughout Fort Berthold. According to TAT Director of Game & Fish Fred Poitra, Bitteroot has been an over harvested plant in years past that prompted a tribal resolution to protect the plant in the 1990’s. According to Poitra Bitteroot was almost harvested to extinction on the reservation. People who were harvesting Bitteroot were earning up to $400 a pound that was eventually sold in Europe for up to $1,200 - $4,000 per pound. Poitra also told me that the

problem got so out of hand that TAT council passed a resolution that banned the harvesting of bitteroot and add harsh fines and even jail time.

In an excerpt from Medicinal Wild Plans of the Prairie by Kelly Kindscher :

`Indians of the Upper Missouri River Region and others used the purple coneflower for more aliments than any other plant. – Gilmore 1913

Thank you!

http://plants.usda.gov/java/Classificationhttp://www.bing.com/images/searchhttp://biology.edgewood.eduhttp://answers.encyclopedia.comEdible and Medicinal Plants of the west; Tilford, Gregory L.

Eleventh Printing July 1997Uses of Plants by the Indians of the Missouri River Region; Gilmore, Melvin R.

University of Nebraska Press 1977Medicinal Wild Plants of the Prairie; Kindscher, Kelly

University Press of Kansas 1992

Works Cited