Images
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Morphology
- Stem
- Usually branched, usually hirsute, sometimes glabrous.
- Leaves
- Basal and cauline; alternate; petiole present on basal and lower cauline leaves, absent on upper cauline leaves; blade ovate to narrowly lanceolate, 2 to 12 inches long, .4 to 4.8 inches wide, base rounded to cordate, margins usually coarsely serrate to dentate, rarely entire, surfaces usually hirsute, sometimes glabrous.
- Inflorescence
- Heads, radiate, solitary; involucres hemispheric, .5 to 1.6 inch across; phyllaries lanceolate to linear, .3 to .7 inch. Peduncles .3 to 1 inch.
- Flower
- Chaffy bracts subtend the ray and disk florets, sharp-tipped, tips often orangish; ray florets 8-21, reddish purple, rarely pink; corolla ligule 1.2 to 3.2 inches long, .25 to .75 inch wide, spreading to drooping; disk florets numerous, much shorter than tips of chaffy bracts; corolla purple or yellow, tubular, lobes 5.
- Fruit
- Achenes tan, wedge-shaped, .16 to .17 inch, usually glabrous; pappus a crown of 1-4 short teeth.
Ecology
- Habitat
- Rocky, oak-hickory forests and woodlands
- Distribution
- Southeast corner of Kansas
Practical Information
- Uses
- Native Americans chewed the root for coughs and took an infusion of roots for venereal disease.
Additional Notes
Comments
Echinacea is from the Greek word for hedgehog, alluding to the spiny chaff.
Quick Facts
- Plant Type
- Wildflower
- Family
- Asteraceae - Sunflower Family
- Life Span
- Perennial
- Height
- 10-48 inches
- Origin
- Native
- Last Updated
- 2015-03-01
Color Groups
Pink, Red & Orange Wildflowers
Blue, Purple, Lavender & Violet Wildflowers
Flowering Period
Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec
Blooms: June, July, August