Echinacea

1. Front Matter

   Pages i-xix

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2. Introduction

   • Kelly Kindscher

   Pages 1-5

3. Cultural Use

   1. Front Matter

      Pages 7-7

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   2. The Uses of Echinacea angustifolia and Other Echinacea Species by Native Americans

      • Kelly Kindscher

      Pages 9-20

   3. Cultivation of Echinacea angustifolia and Echinacea purpurea

      • Kelly Kindscher, Maggie Riggs

      Pages 21-33

4. Botany

   1. Front Matter

      Pages 35-35

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   2. The Naming and Classification of Echinacea Species

      • Kelly Kindscher, Rebecca Wittenberg

      Pages 37-45

   3. The Biology and Ecology of Echinacea Species

      • Kelly Kindscher

      Pages 47-54

   4. A Species by Species Overview of Echinacea

      • Kelly Kindscher

      Pages 55-80

5. Wild Populations

   1. Front Matter

      Pages 81-81

      PDF

   2. One Hundred Twenty Years of Echinacea angustifolia Market Harvest in the Smoky Hills of Kansas

      • Dana M. Price, Kelly Kindscher

      Pages 83-107

   3. Threats to Wild Echinacea Populations

      • Kelly Kindscher

      Pages 109-123

6. The Medicine and the Market

   1. Front Matter

      Pages 125-125

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   2. The Medicinal Chemistry of Echinacea Species

      • Congmei Cao, Kelly Kindscher

      Pages 127-145

   3. Research on Echinacea Use in Western Medicine

      • Jeanne Drisko, Kelly Kindscher

      Pages 147-163

   4. The Echinacea Market

      • Maggie Riggs, Kelly Kindscher

      Pages 165-175

   5. The Media and Echinacea Sales and Use

      • Rachel Craft, Kelly Kindscher

      Pages 177-187

7. Conservation

   1. Front Matter

      Pages 189-189

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   2. Legal Protection of Echinacea and Other Medicinal Plant Species

      • Robyn Klein, Kelly Kindscher

      Pages 191-205

   3. Recommendations Regarding the Conservation of Echinacea Species

      • Kelly Kindscher

      Pages 207-216

This book provides an in-depth analysis of one the of most popular medicinal plants—Echinacea a species that is native to only the US and Canada. There are nine Echinacea species and several roots and above-ground portions of these showy wildflowers have been used in herbal medicine as an immune stimulant and to reduce one’s chances of catching a cold. Considerable medical research supports these claims. The most popular species and the primary one wild-harvested is the one native to the Great Plains, Echinacea angustifolia. It has a long history of use, including being both historically and currently the most widely-used medicinal plant by any of the Great Plains Native Americans. The importance of this species is described by the editor with a few key contributors chosen to relate the important facets of the story of this interesting plant: Echinacea’s biology, ecology, medicinal uses, markets, production and harvest, along with population biology, legalprotections, ethnobotany, and history. The US Forest Service has expressed concern about the conservation status of Echinacea species on their lands, especially on the National Grasslands and National Forest units in the northern Great Plains. Overall, the future status of Echinacea, as an important medicinal plant and in the wild is not grim, but this book provides a clear perspective of why both cultivated and wild-harvested Echinacea will continue to be available to consumers without threatening the remaining populations.

• Botany
• Conservation Biology
• Economic Botany
• Ethnobotany
• Plant Medicine

“This is a scientific book that offers a comprehensive yet readable survey of several scientific and practical aspects of the genus Echinacea … . As a unique feature, many of the topics are based on the authors’ own research, fieldwork experiences, etc. … This is a volume that bridges the past and future of Echinacea species, a dependable source of information that surely deserves a place in scientific libraries.” (Ákos Máthé, Economic Botany, Vol. 71 (1), 2017)

• Kansas Biological Survey, University of Kansas, Lawrence, USA

  Kelly Kindscher

Kelly Kindscher, PhD, is a senior scientist at the Kansas Biological Survey and a Professor in the Environmental Studies Program at the University of Kansas. His research specialties are plant community ecology, conservation biology, restoration ecology, botany, and ethnobotany. He is known as a passionate speaker for the wild—wild prairies, wild plants, and wild landscapes.

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