Overview
- Editors:
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Kelly Kindscher
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Kansas Biological Survey, University of Kansas, Lawrence, USA
- Provides a full history of Echinacea and its uses
- Appeals to botanists, ethnobiologists, and plant scholars in these fields
- Useful for classes in Ethnobotany, Economic Botany, and Conservation Biology
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Table of contents (15 chapters)
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Cultural Use
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- Kelly Kindscher, Maggie Riggs
Pages 21-33
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Botany
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- Kelly Kindscher, Rebecca Wittenberg
Pages 37-45
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Wild Populations
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- Dana M. Price, Kelly Kindscher
Pages 83-107
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The Medicine and the Market
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Front Matter
Pages 125-125
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- Congmei Cao, Kelly Kindscher
Pages 127-145
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- Jeanne Drisko, Kelly Kindscher
Pages 147-163
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- Maggie Riggs, Kelly Kindscher
Pages 165-175
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- Rachel Craft, Kelly Kindscher
Pages 177-187
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Conservation
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Front Matter
Pages 189-189
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- Robyn Klein, Kelly Kindscher
Pages 191-205
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About this book
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.
Reviews
“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)
Editors and Affiliations
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Kansas Biological Survey, University of Kansas, Lawrence, USA
Kelly Kindscher
About the editor
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.
