Echinacea

TL;DR: Echinacea is a genus of flowering plants native to eastern North America that increases nonspecific immune system activity.

Abstract: A genus of nine species of flowering plants in the Family Asteraceae, all native to eastern North America. T hese are herbaceous, drought-tolerant perennial plants growing to 1 or 2 m in height. T he leaves are lanceolate to elliptic, 10-20 cm long and 1.5-10 cm broad. Like all Asteraceae, the flowers are a composite inflorescence, with purple (rarely yellow or white) florets arranged in a prominent, somewhat cone-shaped head; "cone-shaped" because the petals of the outer ray florets, once the flower head opens, tend to point downward (are decumbent), thus forming a cone. Extracts from the plants, especially Echinacea angustifolia, Echinacea pallida, and Echinacea purpurea, increase the nonspecific activity of the immune system. Qeios · Definition, February 7, 2020