Echinacea’s motherland is in North America. Since ancient times Indians used Echinacea to treat wounds, smallpox, sepsis, erysipelas and snake bites. There is a legend telling that Kiowa and Cheyeny tribes’ Indians kept watching sick deer eating Echinacea. Since then this herb is called «the root of the deer” in North America.
Echinacea is a perennial plant of Asteraceae or Compositae family, reaching 120 cm height and 50 cm around. The plant consists of one or more cylindrical, branched stems. Its root system contains intensively branched rhizome root. Lower leaves are broad elliptical, tooth-like and rough on the edges, with 3-5 veins, pointed, up to 20 cm length and 15 cm width, collected in radical rosette. Sparse stem leaves are alternate, subsessile. Calathiums are solitary, large – up to 8-10 cm in diameter. Boundary ray flowers are of 2.5-5 cm length, traffic red, light or dark purple, flowers in the middle are golden yellow.
Echinacea is rich with polysaccharides; resins; tannins and vitamins and minerals. Echinacea-is one of the most powerful immunomodulating and immunostimulating plant. It has anti-allergic and anti-rheumatic, wound-healing properties. It is effective in purulent inflammations treatment.
