Echinacea Moench

	Echinacea sp.: stem

coneflower, purple coneflower

coneflower, purple coneflower

Most commonly cultivated

Echinacea purpurea (L.) Moench (=Rudbeckia purpurea L.¹)

Other species

E. pallida (Nutt.) Nutt.

E. paradoxa (Norton) Britton¹

E. tennesseensis (Beadle) Small¹

Central to eastern U.S.

Rough, hairy stems bearing alternate, simple, entire to slightly toothed, bristly leaves; flowers (florets) in solitary, radiate heads 10-15 cm across; head subtended by involucre of awl-shaped, recurved phyllaries in 2-4 series; receptacle sharply, narrowly conical, bearing conspicuous, thick, spinelike scales longer than disc florets; mature central disc cone-shaped or ovoid; pappus a short crown.

Sometimes the ray florets are removed and the head sold as a fresh or dried flower (e.g. Echinacea pallida); heads single, with ray florets horizontal to drooping, most often pink, purple, red, or white, less often yellow, orange, and other colors; disc copper- or orange-brown to green-yellow, owing largely to disc scale color.

Rudbeckia

Echinacea differs from Rudbeckia in having disc scales longer than the florets, and in having usually purple ray florets.

South Africa