ech·i·na·ce·a

(ĕk′ə-nā′sē-ə, -nā′shə)

1. Any of several coneflowers of the genus Echinacea, having usually pinkish-purple ray flowers.

2. The roots, seeds, or other parts of such a plant, used in herbal medicine.

[New Latin Echīnācea, genus name, from Latin echīnus, sea urchin (from its rough leaves); see echinus.]

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

echinacea

(ˌɛkɪˈneɪʃɪə)

1. (Plants) Also called: purple coneflower either of the two N American plants of the genus Echinacea, having flower heads with purple rays and black centres: family Compositae (composites). See coneflower

2. (Plants) the powdered root of either of these plants, used to stimulate the immune system

[from New Latin, from Latin echīnātus prickly, from echīnus hedgehog]

Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014

ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:

Noun

Echinacea - small genus of North American coarse perennial herbs

genus Echinacea

asterid dicot genus - genus of more or less advanced dicotyledonous herbs and some trees and shrubs

aster family, Asteraceae, Compositae, family Asteraceae, family Compositae - plants with heads composed of many florets: aster; daisy; dandelion; goldenrod; marigold; lettuces; ragweed; sunflower; thistle; zinnia

coneflower - any of various perennials of the eastern United States having thick rough leaves and long-stalked showy flowers with drooping rays and a conelike center

Translations

ech·i·na·ce·a

n. equinacea, planta medicinal que reduce la inflamación.

English-Spanish Medical Dictionary © Farlex 2012

Echinacea

(bot) Echinacea

Mentioned in

References in periodicals archive

Our stunning Echinaceas are the perfect addition to your garden this summer.

Bee-Friendly Echinacea; Vibrant coloured Echinacea perfect for attracting bees into your garden

Echinacea was favoured by the Eclectics', a group of North American physicians that embraced the herbal medicine practiced by the medicine men of the plains tribes.

Plant of the Week: Plant has been used medicinally since time of American settlers

Echinacea pallida, or pale purple coneflower, grows 2 to 3 feet tall.

With many colors and forms, coneflowers offer much variety

The Echinacea species, including Echinacea purpurea, E.

Pregnancy outcomes after exposure to echinacea in a Norwegian population

The patients were randomly assigned to take Echinaforce Hotdrink syrup, a beverage containing an alcoholic extract prepared from freshly harvested echinacea (Echinacea purpurea) herb and root (95% herb; 5% root) supplemented with European elderberry (Sambucus nigra), for 10 days, or oseltamivir for five days followed by placebo for five days.

Clinical trial finds Echinacea preparation as effective as Tamiflu

Very much in evidence now are echinacea, rudbeckia, heleniums and tall grasses.

my favourite

Conversely, the use of echinacea has fallen, which may reflect conflicting results from studies on whether it's helpful for colds."

Shifting use of natural products

The genus Echinacea has been revised to four perennial plant species in the Asteraceae family that are native to the plains of central United States and southern Canada as supported by morphometric, molecular and chemosytematic characters (Binns et al., 2002a).

Alkamides from Echinacea disrupt the fungal cell wall-membrane complex

The research team reviewed 24 randomized controlled trials to determine whether Echinacea was a safe and effective cold prevention and treatment.

Mixed evidence over Echinacea being useful treatment for colds

Echinaforce is a traditional herbal remedy used to relieve the symptoms of cold and flu, formulated using a combination of 95% Echinacea herb and 5% root.

tried & tested herbal remedy

What you need: A packet of echinacea seeds, seed compost, 9cm plant pots, plant label and pencil, clear polythene bag , an unheated greenhouse or cold frame and gardening gloves How to grow: Fill the pot with seed compost almost to the top.

Plant some summer colour

More recently, the results of the largest ever Echinacea study to date, carried out by Prof Ron Eccles at the Common Cold Centre at Cardiff University, were published.

ASKTHEEXPERTS