エキナセアの花容は花の真ん中の筒状花が丸く盛り上がり、花の周りに並ぶ舌状花が垂れ下がります。花言葉は「あなたの痛みを癒します」。
The flower shape of Echinacea is characterized by rounded tubular flowers in the middle of the flower and hanging ray-shaped flowers lined up around the flower. Flower language is “heal your pain”.
【仮名】エキナセア, ムラサキバレンギク
【和名】紫馬簾菊
【英名】Echinacea, Purple Coneflower
【学名】Echinacea
【誕生】06/ 21, 08/ 20, 10/ 07
【開花】07, 08, 09, 10月
【花色】White, Pink, Red, Purple, Green, Yellow, Orange
エキナセア
エキナセアの来歴
エキナセアはキク科の宿根草。原種は北米中東部に分布し、欧州へは観賞用の花卉として、民間療法の薬草として伝わりました。耐寒性があって生育も強健のため花壇に、花もちがよいので切り花に。花容がユニークなのでフラワーアレンジメントやドライフラワーにも用いられます。
エキナセアの名前
エキナセアの名前はラテン語のエキノスに由来し、「針鼠」という意味。花の真ん中の筒状花が時間とともに丸く盛り上がり、その形が針鼠に似ているからです。また、和名は江戸時代の町火消が用いた纏の「馬簾」に由来。花の周りに並ぶ舌状花が時間とともに垂れ下がるからです。
エキナセアの区別
エキナセアは属が異なるものの、「ルドベキア」と花の形が似ています。そのため、舌状花が黄色ならオオハンゴンソウ属のルドベキア、黄色以外ならムラサキバレンギク属のエキナセアと、おおまかに区別。しかし、エキナセアにも黄花種があるため、花色だけでは区別できません。
エキナセアの種類
エキナセアは舌状花の花色で種が分かれます。赤紫色のプルプレア種、白色のアルバ種、黄色のパラドクサ種。また、葉が細いアングスティフォリア種やテネセーンシス種もあります。さらに品種改良で花色が増え、八重咲きも登場。扱いやすい矮性種まで流通するようになりました。
エキナセアの薬用
エキナセアは北米の先住民が歯痛や外傷、風邪、解毒の薬草として利用。そして1930年代からドイツを中心に欧州で民間療法のハーブとして広がりました。花言葉も「あなたの痛みを癒します」。免疫系を活性化して感染症を防ぐとされていますが、科学的にはよくわかっていません。
Echinacea
History of Echinacea
Echinacea is a perennial plant of the Asteraceae family. The original species is distributed in the central and eastern parts of North America, and was introduced to Europe as an ornamental flower and as a medicinal herb for folk remedies. It is cold-resistant and grows vigorously, so it can be used as a flower bed, and as it has a long flower life, it can be used as a cut flower. Because of its unique flower shape, it is also used for flower arrangements and dried flowers.
Name of Echinacea
The name Echinacea comes from the Latin echinos, which means “hedgehog”. This is because the tubular flowers in the middle of the flower grows round with time, and its shape resembles a hedgehog. In addition, the Japanese name comes from the ‘Baren’ of ‘Matoi’ which was banner used by town firefighters in the Edo period. This is because the ray flowers that line the flower droop over time.
Distinguishing Echinacea
Flower shape of Echinacea and Rudbeckia are similar though both genus are different. Therefore, it can be roughly distinguished if the ligulate flower is yellow, it is Rudbeckia, and if it is not yellow, it is Echinacea. However, since Echinacea also has yellow-flowered species, it cannot be distinguished by flower color alone.
Types of Echinacea
Echinacea species are classified by the flower color of the ligulate flower. Red-purple purpurea, white alva, yellow paradoxa. There are also Angustifolia and Tenesensis species with thin leaves. In addition, breed improvement has increased the number of flower colors, and double flowers have also appeared. Even dwarf species that are easy to handle are now distributed.
Medicinal use of Echinacea
Echinacea was used by Native Americans as a remedy for toothache, wounds, colds, and detoxification. Since the 1930s, it had spread as a folk remedy in Europe, mainly in Germany. The flower language is also “heal your pain”. It is believed to activate the immune system and prevent infections, but the scientific evidence is not well understood.
