Echinacea is herbaceous plant from asteraceae family and commonly called cone flower.
This herbaceous plant is been used in herbal medicines since a long
time. North Americans widely use this herb for its medicinal qualities.
It has nine species and popularly believed to be an immunostimular and
ward off many infections.
Its all nine species are native to eastern and central America. The
plants are large and have showy heads of composite flowers which bloom
from early to late summer.
It is a perennial plant growing 1-2 cm tall and leaves are elliptic, about
10-20 cm long and 1.5-10 cm broad.
The flowers are a composite inflorescence, with purple florets arranged
in prominent cone shaped head.
Being a native to North America it is also found in Virginia to Ohio,
Michigan, south to Georgia and Louisiana.
It grows in open fields and easily cultivated. It prefers light, loamy
and well drained soil.
It needed shady place to grow generally sunny areas. The flowers bloom
from July to September.
The flower heads can reach 4-5 inches and stems are 2-3 feet long. Leaves
are bristly and dark green on color. Roots are tapering, cylindrical and
slightly spiral.
Roots.
Due to its medicinal properties Echinacea is widely used in medicines. Primary uses of this herb are
It is also used as an immune stimulator and cures many infections of body.