Echinacea angustifolia Asteraceae

In addition to chemotype patterning revealed by statistical analysis of the data, latitudinal relationships emerged as well. Concentrations of cichoric acid and echinacoside and one of the amides, undeca-2Z,4Z-diene-8,10-diynoic acid 2-methylbutyl amide [246], with a larger amine-bearing group increased with latitude. The inverse relationship was observed for caftaric acid and hexadeca-2 , 9Z-diene-12,14-diynoic acid isobutylamide. The latitudinal differences may be of importance in helping to identify populations for selection of seed for propagation. 

The authors discounted the existence of two chemotypes of L. dulcis on the grounds that no evidence appears to exist as to this level of plasticity in this species. Rather, they suggested that the problem likely arose in the source of the Mexican specimen, which consisted of plants collected in the vicinity of Tlayacapan (Morelos) and mixed with hierba dulce purchased in a market in Mexico City. Adulteration of the commercial product, not an uncommon practice, likely accounts for the striking chemical differences between the two specimens. 

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Binns, S. E., Arnason, J. T. and Baum, B. R. 2002. Phytochemical variation within populations of Echinacea angustifolia (Asteraceae). Biochem. Syst. Ecol. 30 837-854. 

Echinacea is a group of American coneflowers in the Family Asteraceae/ Compositae. There are nine species of the plant included in the genus. Three of these are typically seen in herbal preparations Echinacea purpurea, Echinacea angustifolia, and Echinacea pallida. Common preparations consist of freshly pressed or ethanolic extracts of the roots, leaves, and flowers as well as dried portions of the plants. E. purpurea is the most commonly used species, although it is often seen in combination with E. angustifolia (1). 

Facino RM, Sparatore A, Carini M, Gioia B, Arlandini E, Franzoi L (1991) Field desorption mass spectrometry, fast atom bombardment mass spectrometry and fast atom bombardment tandem mass spectrometry of echinacoside, the main caffeoyl-glycoside from Echinacea angustifolia roots (Asteraceae). Org Mass Spectrom 26 951-955... 

Source Echinacea angustifolia DC, E. pallida (Nutt.) Nutt, and E. purpurea (L.) Moench. (Family Compositae or Asteraceae). 

Echinacea, a genus including nine species that grow in the United States, is a member of the daisy (Asteraceae Compositae) family. Three of these species are commonly found in herbal preparations the dried rhizome and roots of E. angustifolia, the narrow-leaved echinacea pallida, the pale-flowered echinacea and A. purpurea, the cultivated variety. The latter is the species most commonly found in herbal preparations (Tyler, 1993). 

Echinacea (Echinacea purpurea, E. pallida, E. angustifolia, family Asteraceae)... 

E. angustifoliae radix (narrow-leaved) coneflower root Echinacea angustlfolia DC Asteraceae Herba... 

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