Echinacea mapping project
Determining precisely where each Echinacea species grows is important to the ethnobotany of these species. We developed a project to map each species’ native locations by U.S. county or Canadian census division.
Data were compiled from herbarium records for which we could verify that the collection was relatively recent and was correctly identified. Our research team at the University of Kansas has looked at the majority of specimens listed and has been especially diligent with specimens outside our core range. We did not include herbarium specimens for cultivated vouchers (from the state of Washington, for example) or escapees (such as E. angustifolia along railroad tracks in downtown St. Louis).
If you know of a record of one of these species growing in a county not listed, please e-mail the following information to Kelly Kindscher:
- Your name, position, and e-mail address;
- The species of Echinacea you are discussing;
- The county and state in which this population is found; and
- The name of the herbarium in which a voucher specimen for this population be found (please include contact information for that herbarium).
You can also send a voucher with the above information to:
Kelly Kindscher
Kansas Biological Survey
2101 Constant Avenue
Lawrence, KS 66047
A voucher specimen would be the most helpful, but please do not collect either federally protected species, E. laevigata, or the formerly listed, but now recovered (but still rare), E. tennesseensis.
For the other species, please prepare the herbarium specimen by collecting the entire above-ground portion of the plant and pressing and drying it in a plant press. Protect the specimen with cardboard and mail it to Kelly Kindscher at the address above.
Be sure to provide essential label information along with the specimen, including exact location, date, your name, plant habitat, and any other interesting notes. Specific information on procedures for collecting plant specimens can be found here.
