Description

Echinacea species are hardy, herbaceous perennials with either simple or branched
stems. The terminal single flowering heads have fertile disc florets that terminate in
spines (paleae). These are surrounded by infertile drooping or spreading ray flowers
that have 2 or 3 teeth at each end. The leaf shape varies from lanceolate to ovate,
its margin may be dentate and the leaf may be pubescent or smooth. Roots are
either single taproot or fibrous in form (6–11).
Echinacea angustifolia D.C. var. angustifolia
Stems simple or occasionally branched, 10–50cm high, smooth or hirsute below,
hirsute or tuberculate-hispid above; leaves oblong-lanceolate to elliptical, entire,
dark green tuberculate-hirsute to tuberculate-hispid; basal leaves short to long-
petiolate, 5–27cm long, 1–4cm broad, lower cauline leaves petiolate, 4–15cm long,
0.5–3.8 cm broad, upper cauline leaves sessile, acute; heads 1.5–3cm high, 1.5–
2.5 cm broad exclusive of ligules, phyllaries in three or four series, lanceolate,
acute, entire, 6–11mm long, 2–3mm wide, tuberculate hirsute or tuberculate-
hispid; rays spreading, 2–3.8cm long, 5–8mm wide, white, pinkish or purplish; disc
corollas 6–8.5mm long, lobes 1.2–2mm long; achenes 4–5mm long, pappus a
toothed crown; pollen grains yellow, 19–26μm in diameter; haploid chromosome
number n _ 11 (4).

Echinacea pallida (Nutt.) Nutt.

Stems simple, rarely branched, 40–90cm high, sparsely hirsute below, more
densely so above; leaves oblong-lanceolate to long-elliptical, entire, dark green,
hirsute on both surfaces, triple-veined; basal leaves 10–35cm long, 1–4cm broad,
the cauline leaves 10–25cm long, 1–2.5 cm broad, acute, petiolate below to sessile
above; phyllaries lanceolate to narrowly oblong, 8–17mm long, 2– 4mm broad,
hirsute, ciliate, three or four series gradually passing into the echinaceous pales;
rays reflexed, 4–9cm long, 5–8mm broad, purplish, pink, or white; pales 1–1.3cm
long, body 8–10mm long, awn 2.5–3.5mm long; disc floret 8–10mm long, lobes 2–
3mm long, achenes 3.7–5mm long, glabrous, pappus a toothed crown, teeth about
even, longest 1 mm; pollen grains white, 24–28.5μm in diameter; haploid
chromosome number n _ 22 (4).
Plant material of interest: fresh or dried roots

General appearance
Echinacea angustifolia D.C. var. angustifolia
Cylindrical or slightly tapering and sometimes spirally twisted, passing imperceptibly
into a rhizome in the upper part; rhizome up to about 15mm in diameter, roots 4–
10mm in diameter; outer surface pale brown to yellowish brown; rhizomes crowned
with remains of the aerial stem and sometimes showing surface annulations; roots
longitudinally wrinkled and deeply fur

DETAILED PLANT DESCRIPTION

Plant: Type.--Herbaceous perennial. Hardiness.--USDA Zones 4 to 9. Size.--55 cm
wide and 90 to 100 cm tall to top of flowers. Form.--Basal clump. Vigor.--Excellent.
Roots.--Fibrous, with many downward growing and few laterals, ivory in color,
Yellow White 158D, roots develop easily from cuttings from the crown. Stem
(flowering): Type.--Ascending. Size.--Grows from 90 to 100 cm tall to terminal
flower and 1.3 cm wide at base. Internode length.--2 to 6.5 cm. Surface texture.--
Strigose. Color.--Yellow Green 146A. Leaf (basal and stem): Type.--Simple.
Shape.--Most lanceolate, upper stem leaves ovate. Arrangement.--Basal, stem
leaves alternate. Blade size.--Grows to 19.5 cm long and 5.5 cm wide. Margins.--
Entire. Apex.--Acuminate. Base.--Attenuate, continuing down petiole, clasping.
Surface texture.--Strigose on both sides. Venation.--Pinnate. Color.--Topside --
Yellow Green 147A with the vein Yellow Green 147B. Bottom -- Yellow Green 147A
with the veins Yellow Green 147B. Petiole description.--Grows to 10.5 cm long and 3
mm wide if basal leaf and 3 cm long and 7 mm wide if cauline leaf, strigose, Yellow
Green 147B except at base on basal leaves where Grayed Purple 187A.
Inflorescence: Type.--On long stalked terminal heads. Peduncle description.--Grows
from 90 to 100 cm tall from the base of the plant to the terminal flower and can
grow to 42 cm long from the top leaf to the top of a flower head; diameter growing
to 12 mm wide near the flower head; strigose, branched, with one to five branches,
0 to 1 linear bract. Number of inflorescences.--5. Number of flowering stems per
plant in summer.--1. Bloom time.--Summer until frost in Canby, Oreg. Size.--Grows
to 11.5 cm wide and 6 cm deep as disc enlarges. Form.--Ray petals held at a
downward 10 to 20 degree angle, mature disc is conic. Immature inflorescence.--
3.3 cm wide and 2.3 cm deep, ray petals held upright and colored Yellow Green
145B tinted Greyed Orange 174C, disc is tinted Greyed Orange 176B. Ray florets.--
Without pistil or stamen. Shape: oblanceolate with the tip two to three toothed and
cupped down, entire margins, base attenuate, ray florets sometimes overlapping.
Number: 15 to 19 ray florets per head. Size: grows to 4.5 cm long, 14 mm wide.
Surface texture: glabrous on both sides. Ray florets color.--Topside -- overall
closest to Orange28A, in detail the base and edges are Orange 28A and the middle
is Orange 25A with shades of Yellow Orange 22A in the veins (As the ray florets
mature the lighter Orange 25A and Yellow Orange 22A dominate and the most
mature ray florets dull to a color closest to Greyed Orange 163A.). Bottom side --
Greyed Orange 172A on the edges and base with Greyed Orange 163B in the center
maturing to Greyed Orange 163B overall. Disc.--Overall shape -- convex becoming
conic. Overall size -- 4 cm wide and becoming 3.5 cm deep with maturity. Overall
color -- Greyed Red 180A. Disc florets.--About 240 in number, 14 mm long, each
with one persistent, very stiff bract with a spiny top which gives the disc color and a
base which wraps around the disc floret. Bract -- 16 mm long, Greyed Purple 187A
at the tip to Greyed Purple 185A below the tip and Greyed Orange 164B, base
Yellow Green 146A and lighter. Corolla -- 6 mm long and 1.5 mm wide, 5 lobed,
Yellow Green 145C to Yellow Green 146C at the tip, glabrous. Pistil -- 15 mm long,
with an extruding, 2-branched stigma, spreading 3.5 mm wide, Greyed Purple
187A, style 7 mm long, White 155A, ovary 4 mm long and Yellow White 158C with
Yellow Green 144C at top. Stamen -- 6 mm long, anthers 3 mm long and Black
201A, filaments 3 mm long, Yellow White 158C, pollen Yellow Orange 20A.
Phyllaries.--In 4 leafy series, area 3.2 cm wide, lobes lanceolate in shape, reflexed,
can grow to 12 mm long and 4 mm wide, Yellow Green 147B, margins strigose, tip
acute. Bloom period.--July through October in Canby, Oreg. Fragrance.--Lovely,
strong. Seed: Average number of 24 seeds/head. Description.--4 mm long and 2.5
mm wide, oval, Greyed Green 197A. Fertility.--Good. Disease and pests: Echinacea
are susceptible to leaf miners, powdery mildew, bacterial spots, and gray mold.
None of these have been observed on plants grown under commercial conditions in
Canby, Oreg. No resistance is known.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

In the following description, color references are made to The Royal Horticultural
Society Colour Chart, 2001 Edition, except where general terms of ordinary
dictionary significance are used. The following observations and measurements
describe plants grown in Vleuten, The Netherlands during the summer in an outdoor
nursery and under conditions and practices which approximate those generally used
in commercial Echinacea production. During the production of the plants, day
temperatures ranged from -5.degree. C. to 35.degree. C. and night temperatures
ranged from -8.degree. C. to 20.degree. C. Measurements and numerical values
represent averages for typical flowering plants. Plants were about 16 months year
old when the photographs and description were taken. Botanical classification:
Echinacea purpurea cultivar Pink Sorbet. Parentage: Female parent.--Proprietary
selection of Echinacea purpurea identified as code number Ec 201-01, not patented.
Male parent.--Proprietary selection of Echinacea purpurea identified as code number
Ec 203-01, not patented. Propagation: Type.--By micropropagation. Time to initiate
roots.--About one week at 25.degree. C. Time to produce a rooted young plant.--
About five weeks at 22.degree. C. Root description.--Fine, fibrous; pale cream white
in color. Rooting habit.--Freely branching; moderately dense. Plant description:
Plant form/growth habit.--Upright and somewhat outwardly spreading plant habit;
freely basal branching with about eight primary branches developing per plant.
Moderately vigorous growth habit. Plant height.--About 79 cm. Plant diameter or
spread.--About 48 cm. Basal branches.--Length: About 67.1 cm. Diameter: About 5
mm. Internode length: About 6.9 cm. Aspect: Mostly upright. Strength: Strong.
Texture: Pubescent; rough. Color: 144A. Foliage description: Arrangement.--
Alternate, simple. Length.--About 9.8 cm. Width.--About 5 cm. Shape.--Ovate.
Apex.--Acute. Base.--Attenuate. Margin.--Irregularly and sparsely serrate. Texture,
upper and lower surfaces.--Pubescent; rough. Venation pattern.--Pinnate. Color.--
Developing foliage, upper surface: 137A to 137B. Developing foliage, lower surface:
137C. Fully expanded foliage, upper surface: 137A; venation, 144B. Fully expanded
foliage, lower surface: 137C; venation, 144B to 144C. Petiole length.--About 7.8
cm. Petiole diameter.--About 2 mm. Petiole texture, upper surface.--Smooth,
glabrous. Petiole texture, lower surface.--Sparsely pubescent. Petiole color, upper
surface.--144A to 144B. Petiole color, lower surface.--144B. Inflorescence
description: Appearance.--Rotate single inflorescence form with ray and disc florets.
Inflorescences positioned above the foliage on strong peduncles and face upright.
About two inflorescences develop per lateral branch. Inflorescences not persistent.
Fragrance.--Faint, sweet. Time to flower.--Plants flower continuously from late July
to late September in The Netherlands. Inflorescence longevity.--Inflorescences
maintain good substance for about three weeks on the plant. Inflorescence bud.--
Height: About 2 cm. Diameter: About 3.2 cm. Shape: Broadly ovate. Color:
Between 144A and N144A. Inflorescence size.--Diameter: About 6 cm. Depth
(height): About 6.6 cm. Disc diameter: About 2.9 cm. Receptacle height: About 1.4
cm. Receptacle diameter: About 1.4 cm. Ray florets.--Length: About 3.8 cm. Width:
About 9 mm. Shape: Oblanceolate. Apex: Praemorse. Base: Cuneate. Margin:
Entire. Texture, upper and lower surfaces: Smooth, glabrous. Number of ray florets
per inflorescence: About 15 arranged in a single whorl. Aspect: Drooping. Color:
When opening, upper surface: 63B; towards the base, 63A. When opening, lower
surface: 185D. Fully opened, upper surface: 63C; towards the base and apex, 63D.
With development, 186D tinted with 144C to 144D. Fully opened, lower surface:
186D; towards the base and apex, 144B to 144C. With development, 160B. Disc
florets.--Length: About 2.2 cm. Diameter: About 6 mm. Shape: Oblanceolate to
tubular, enlarged; apices praemorse. Number of disc florets per inflorescence:
About 400. Texture, upper and lower surfaces: Smooth, glabrous. Color: Immature,
upper or inner surface: 63A. Immature, lower or outer surface: 63B to 63C. Mature,
upper or inner surface: 63B. Mature, lower or outer surface: 63C. Receptacle
spines.--Quantity: One per disc floret. Shape: Acicular. Apex: Acute. Base:
Attenuate. Texture: Smooth, glabrous. Color: Apex: 25B; at apex, N34A. Mid-
section: 143A. Base: 145C to 145D. Involucral bracts.--Quantity per inflorescence:
About 54 in about three whorls. Length: About 1.1 cm. Width: About 2.5 mm.
Shape: Lanceolate. Apex: Acute. Base: Cuneate. Margin: Entire. Texture, upper
surface: Smooth, glabrous. Texture, lower surface: Densely pubescent. Color, upper
surface: 143A to 143B. Color, lower surface: 143B to 143C. Peduncles.--Length:
About 11.9 cm. Diameter: About 3.5 mm. Strength: Strong. Aspect: Mostly upright.
Texture: Pubescent; rough. Color: 144B. Reproductive organs.--Androecium:
Quantity per disc floret: Two. Filament length: About 2 mm. Filament color: 165C to
165D. Anther shape: None observed. Gynoecium: Pistil length: About 5 mm. Stigma
shape: Cleft; reflexed. Stigma color: 59A. Style length: About 4 mm. Style color:
155A; towards the apex, 60C to 60D. Ovary color: 157D. Fruits/seeds: Fruit and
seed development have not been observed. Disease/pest resistance: Plants of the
new Echinacea have not been shown to be resistant to pathogens and pests
common to Echinacea. Garden performance: Plants of the new Echinacea have
exhibited good tolerance to rain and wind, have been observed to be hardy to USDA
Zone 4 and to tolerate high temperatures of about 35.degree. C.