ECHINACEA PITAHAKO, to whirl. It was also called SAPIRIDU KAHTS, "mushroom medicine", as the plant head NARROW LEAVED looks like a mushroom head. PURPLE CONEFLOWER The Fox used roots to cure stomachaches and quiet (Echinacea angustifolia) convulsions. The Comanche used the tea for sore (E. pallida var. angustifolia) throats, while many tribes squeezed the fresh juice from stems to apply to burns. PALE PURPLE CONEFLOWER The Omaha recognized two kinds of Echinacea, Nuga, (E. pallida) the male and Miga the female, and thus more potent. PURPLE CONEFLOWER Echinacea pallida is, indeed the larger plant, and E. angustifolia the smaller species in their region. The (E. purpurea) northern Cheyenne of Montana combined the PARTS USED- root, leaves, flowers pulverized root of E. pallida with skunk oil and puffball spores for treating boils. The root was boiled with the root of Mertensia laevicaulis to treat smallpox. Some tribes took the stems to sweats and dripped the juice over hot rocks to reduce the intensity. In the 1860's, a German born physician, H.C.F. Meyer, was practicing in Nebraska. He created a mystique around Echinacea (Meyer's blood purifier), by publicizing his offer to allow a rattlesnake to bite him. This is believed to be the origin of the phrase "snake oil salesman". It consisted mainly of Echinacea root, Wormwood and Hops. Dr. Ellingwood, one of the foremost Eclectic physicians, used Echinacea to successfully treat anthrax, a disease of wild and domesticated animals, and more recently in the United States as a source of terrorism. He said “Echinacea retards and prevents gangrene”. The National Formulary listed it from 1916 until 1950. The famous Lloyd brothers wrote Treatise on Echinacea is from the Greek ECHINOS and refers to Echinacea in 1917, and then marketed their famous the spiny hedgehog or a sea urchin, and hence the ECHAFOLTA, to compete with the drug companies spiny floral bracts of the species. Purpurea means Merck, Wyeth and Parke Davis, for market share. purple, referring to the flower colour. Angustifolia At this time, JAMA, the Journal of the American means narrow-leaved, pallida means pale. Medical Association, ran articles declaring Echinacea Narrow-leaved Coneflower (E. angustifolia) is native a useless "quack remedy". Sound familiar, doesn’t it, to southern Saskatchewan and Manitoba and has almost a hundred years later? yellow pollen. The less, commercially, desirable but Many native tribes observed that by tantalizing a still effective E. pallida can be distinguished by its rattlesnake, it would bite itself. The creature then white pollen. would retreat, and when followed went straight to This species is a diverse allopolypoid that Echinacea, and starting sucking the plant. When incorporates genomes of E. simulata and E. finished, it would seek a hole to hide, and recovery. sanguinea. Wu et al, Planta Med 2008 Dec 19. In the early 1900's, numerous veterinarians used Echinacea purpurea is native to the east-central United Echinacea extracts successfully in the treatment of States, and the commercial herb of choice in the canine distemper and influenza in horses. American Northwest. In Denmark, its common name Eclectic physicians, like Eli Jones, used echinacea is Red Sunflower. tincture (1 tsp. every hour) for the pain of liver cancer, Various native tribes used Echinacea for a wide and last stages of other cancers to ease the pain. variety of ailments, including insect and snakebites, Another Eclectic, Dr. Reny relayed that “seven cases skin wounds, sore gums, toothache, colds, mumps, of fully diagnosed appendicitis were completely cured arthritis and rheumatism, to name a few. by 5 drops liquid extract Echinacea, in water, every 1- Samples of echinacea have been found in 3 hours.” archeological digs of the Lakota from the 17th Today, it is one of our most important medicinal century. The Cheyenne call it MOHK TA WI SE E herbs. Hundreds of scientific articles have been YO, meaning "Black Medicine". published, many in Germany. More than 200 The Dakota call it CHAHPE-HU, and the Ponca echinacea pharmaceutical preparations are marketed MIKA-HI, meaning "Comb plant" referring to the use as salves, extracts and tinctures mainly from E. of the dry spiny flower cone for combing hair. purpurea. This occurred due to an error. A German To the Pawnee, the plant was known as company, Madaus AHG, attempted to import E. KSAPITAHAKO from IKSA, meaning hand, and 239 angustifolia seeds into Europe, but were shipped E. The roots are high in juvenile hormone activity purpurea instead. against the Meal Worm Beetle (Tenebrio monitor) Echinacea angustifolia thrives on well- drained loam often sold for pet food and fish bait. and sandy loam soils with a pH of 6-7. The root is Early prairie settlers found that mixing some root into harvested after the third for maximum profit. the feed of sickly horses and cows helped them thrive Echinacea purpurea will grow in direct sunlight in and recover. The fresh leaves, stems and flowers help northern climates, but needs some shade further south. relieve colic in horses. At the present time, good quality seed stock will bring Dr. Mohyuddin Mirza, a greenhouse crops specialist a good return. One pound of seed is needed per acre, with Alberta Agriculture said "in the year 2001, more with cold, moist scarification improving germination. than a million (echinacea) plugs are likely to be grown Fall planting of seed seems to take care of this quite for planting in Western Canada. Our research has nicely; although the seeds should be near surface and standardized Echinacea seed germination methods so not buried. To improve germination for spring that it can be used for large scale seeding and planting, soak in a 5.3% potassium hydroxide bath for planting". no longer than ten minutes. Aeroponic greenhouse production has been studied Echinacea root crowns can be divided in older plants, and appears a viable alternative to traditional into 5-7 buds that will each produce a new plant, like hydroponics or field cultivation. The seeds are potatoes. Christopher Hobbs believes that crowns germinated in rock wool cubs and placed in growing planted in late summer, after harvest, have the best channels. survival rate. Continual misting with water and nutrients produced For seeds, collect the whole heads and dry thoroughly harvestable roots in nine months, averaging 573 grams in September, or when stalks are dry. Thresh when per square metre. Clean roots, minimal labour and no dry. root washing are some advantages of this growing Roots are harvested in fall, with yields of 1200 system. pounds dried root per acre in mature three to four year Work at Outlook, Saskatchewan found that direct plants. seeding of E. angustifolia on average produced 1100 Flowering tops of E. purpurea can start in the second to 1400 kilos per ha-1 of dry root. When higher year, with plants lasting ten years or more. seeding rates (180 seeds per square metre), yields as They are an attractive garden plant that will draw bees high as 2000 kg per hectare were observed. Recent and butterflies into the yard. They are an excellent, work by Romero et al, J Herbs Spices & Med Plants long lasting cut flower, with seed heads that darken 16:3-4 found four year old roots yield 1504 kilograms. with maturity and can be used in dry flower The related E. purpurea yields 4845 kilograms on arrangements. same land mass and E. pallida over 8500 kilos. What is most interesting is the very minimal root size E. purpurea, "Magnus", was the Perennial Plant difference between second and third year harvests; Association's 1998 Plant of the Year. Like all hybrids suggesting that harvesting a direct seeded crop in selected for garden, the true medicinal value is second fall may be most economical. Work by Powell uncertain. et al, Journal of Nutraceuticals found, however, that A Polish study conducted by Weglarz in 1993-94 the masses of marker compounds of 3 year old plants found that the date of flower harvesting directly were significantly higher than those of two year old affects the rhizome yield of E. purpurea. If the heads plants. Echinacoside content of two year old direct are harvested in July, the yield of roots, particularly in seeded is similar to three year old transplants. two-year plantations, is significant. The use of fungal Other work in Saskatchewan by Kabganian et al inculation by Glomus intradices appears to increase looked at the effect of drying temperature on mass of shoots and roots. Araim et al, J Ag Food echinacoside content of E. angustifolia roots. When Chem 57:6. dried at 30° C the content reduced 30%, and when The length of stem cut also made a difference to dried at 60° C, it was reduced 55%. The important rhizome yield, a short cut being best. Essential oil alkamides were unchanged, but as industry still pays yields were not affected, with slightly more oil in the producers according to echinacoside content, the rhizomes of first year plantation than second year. information is worth noting. J Herb Spice Med Plant Both Echinacein , and echinolone, found in E. 10:1. angustifolia root are powerful insecticides. The yield Similar work in Australia by Stuart and Wills, on E. is about 0.01% from the dry root. Echinacein is purpurea, found the alkylamide content did not vary identical in structure to neoherculin and alpha- with drying temperature, but the chicoric acid levels, sanshool, found in Prickly Ash bark and Oriental Z. especially in aerial parts, were lowered by higher piperitum, respectively. temperatures. It is toxic to houseflies, mosquito larvae, ticks, and Yields of active constituents in E. purpurea were leaf eating insects.