Echinacea (Latin - E. Angustifolia and E. Purpurea)is a member of the Asteraceae plant family and is also commonly known as purple cone flower, black sampson and snakeroot.It is a herbaceous perennial indigenous to the Central and North American plains, and has brilliant purple to pink, daisy-like wild flowers. Echinacea derives its name from the Greek word "echinos", meaning sea urchin or hedgehog, referring to the prickly scales of the dried seed head.Echinacea has a long and intriguing history of use, archeologists have found evidence of the plant at burial sites amongst the remains of native American Indians dating back to the 1600's.Of the hundreds of herbs commonly used by the native Indians, echinacea was highly revered as a sacred herb.The early settlers learned about echinacea from the native Indians and by 1921 it was the most popular botanical used by Eclectics,the leading herbalists of the day.Echinacea travelled across the Atlantic around 1895 and became extremely popular in Europe, particularly in Germany.Echinacea is one of the most extensively researched herb, and more than 350 scientific studies document the use of the plant.The dried root and leaves of the herb are commonly used in herbal preparations. Available in pack sizes of: 30's, 60's and 120's. Suitable for: Kosher, vegan and vegetarian diets.
