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Prairie Purple Coneflower

Echinacea simulata




Prairie Purple Coneflower
 Prairie purple coneflower habitat
 Echinacea simulata
 Echinacea simulata



State Heritage Status Rankings

Georgia (S2S3), Illinois (SNR), Indiana (SNR), Kentucky (S3S4), Missouri (SNR), Tennessee (S2)



 

Description:

Prairie purple coneflower is a perennial obtaining a height of up to 3 feet with coarsely spreading hairy leaves and stem. The leaves are parallel-veined, entire, long, narrow, basally disposed, petiolate, with blades up to 8 inches in length. Disk flowers are 1.2 inches in width and the narrow rays are 1 to 3 inches in length, pink to purplish and strongly drooping. The species produces yellow pollen (Carman 2001). Prairie purple coneflower closely resembles pale purple coneflower (Echinacea pallida) and intergrades with it toward the western portion of its range (NatureServe 2003).

Habitat:

Prairie purple coneflower inhabits cedar glades or glade like sites.

Range:

Prairie purple coneflower is a fairly common species across a fairly small range, but may be rather rare in some localities. It is threatened primarily by diggers of its roots for medicinal purposes, but also by fire suppression, encroachment by woody species into its habitat, rights-of-way maintenance, and limestone quarrying (Patrick et. al. 1995 and Weakley 2003).





References

  • Carman, J. B. 2001. Wildflowers of Tennessee. Higland Rim Press, Tullahoma, Tennessee. p. 355.
    Wildfowers of Tennessee

  • NatureServe. 2003. Internet Resource. NatureServe.

  • Patrick, T.S., Allison, J.R., and Krakow, G.A. 1995. Protected Plants of Georgia: AN INFORMATION MANUAL ON PLANTS DESIGNATED BY THE STATE OF GEORGIA AS ENDANGERED, THREATENED, RARE, OR UNUSUAL. Georgia Natural Heritage Program. Internet Resource. Protected Plants of Georgia.

  • USDA, NRCS. 2002. The PLANTS Database, Version 3.5. Internet Resource USDA Plants Database. National Plant Data Center, Baton Rouge, LA 70874-4490 USA.

  • Weakley, A.S. 2003. Flora of the Carolinas and Virginia, Working Draft. Internet Resource. Flora of the Carolinas and Virginia.