Synonyms in a broader sense
Latin name: Echinacea purpurea, group: Asteraceae = Compositae Folk names: American coneflower, narrow-leaved coneflower. Hedgehog head, cone flower, Rudbeckie Family: composite plants
Plant description
The plant is anchored vertically in the ground with a tap root. Upright stem, covered with bristle hairs. Leaves with entire margins, lancet-like, solitary.
Only one large capitulum with conical bottom, petals pink to purple-red. The leaves can be opposite or alternate and are about 7-20 cm long. The decorative flowers stand out due to their reddish petals that are folded down.
The spiny, domed base of the flower is reminiscent of a hedgehog. One also finds white forms. Occurrence: The plant originates from North America and is a wild growing perennial herb of 60 to 180 cm height depending on the type of coneflower.
In our country the coneflower is cultivated in cultures. The coneflower originally comes from North America, where it was used by Native Americans and Prairie Indians as a plant pulp to treat injuries and dress wounds. In 1762 a first report on the healing properties of the coneflower appeared in North America.
In Europe, the narrow-leaved coneflower was mentioned in the “Apothekerzeitung” in 1897. At the beginning of the 20th century, the coneflower also became known in Europe. In the 1930s, Dr. Madaus began to cultivate the medicinal plant in Europe with seeds and cuttings of the purple coneflower from America. Since then the coneflower has been widely used in Europe as a medicinal plant for therapies. The coneflower is the most frequently used medicinal plant in Germany.
Summary
The purple coneflower or Echinacea purpurea was already used by the Indian tribes of North America to heal wounds and inhibit inflammation. Meanwhile the medicinal plant is also cultivated in Europe. However, it still comes mainly from wild stocks in North America. A purple “sunflower” hangs from bristly, hairy stems. Inside the flower is a hemispherical, brownish head surrounded by narrow 4 cm long red ray florets, which are bent down.
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