Echinops is a genus of about 130 species of flowering plants in the family Asteraceae, commonly known as globe thistles. They have spiny foliage and produce blue or white spherical flower heads. They are distributed from central Asia, Mongolia and north-eastern China to the Mediterranean basin, temperate regions of Eurasia, reaching to Indian subcontinent and tropical Africa. Globe thistles are a common host plant for weevils of the genus Larinus.
Characteristics
thumb|Illustration of globe thistle [[Echinops sphaerocephalus]]
Source:
Vegetative characteristics
The globe thistle species are perennial herbaceous plants. They form rhizomes as perennial organs. The independently upright stems are angular. The alternately arranged leaves are one to two-pinnately divided and white, woolly and tomentose on the underside.
Generative features
thumb|Echinops ritro
The capitulas are single-flowered, have a hermaphrodite tubular flower and are surrounded by a multi-rowed sheath. Numerous capitulas form spherical inflorescences of the second order, which have a diameter of 4 to 8 centimeters. The capitulas bloom from top to bottom within a head. The corolla is tubular, divided almost to the base. The flower color is steel blue to white, the inflorescences as a whole are usually bluish. The stamens are blue-gray. The achenes are cylindrical, pentagonal and hairy. The pappus has short scales.
Human uses
Many species belonging to the genus Echinops are traditionally used as medicinal herbs in Africa, Asia and Europe. More than 151 natural products have been reported from this genus, many of which contain an unusual alkyne- and thiophene-containing structure. Various extracts, essential oils, and isolated compounds from members of this genus have been shown to have anti-microbial, cytotoxic, and anti-inflammatory effects in vitro. thumb|Echinoynethiophene A is one such compound isolated from [[Echinops grijsii]]However, there are a number of species in this genus that are claimed to have traditional medicinal uses but their chemical composition has not yet been evaluated.
Echinops plants have been traditionally employed in folk medicine to treat inflammation, pain, fever, cough, and sore throat; as an aphrodisiac; to facilitate expulsion of a retained placenta postpartum; as an abortifacient; and in the management of uterine tumors and leucorrhoea.
Selected species
Species include:
- Echinops adenocaulos
- Echinops amplexicaulis
- Echinops bannaticus
- Echinops cephalotes
- Echinops ceratophorus
- Echinops chantavicus
- Echinops echinatus
- Echinops exaltatus
- Echinops giganteus
- Echinops gmelinii
- Echinops graecus
- Echinops humilis
- Echinops kotschyi
- Echinops latifolius
- Echinops longisetus
- Echinops macrophyllus
- Echinops nivens
- Echinops niveus
- Echinops orientalis
- Echinops persepolitanus
- Echinops polyceras
- Echinops ritro (syn. Echinops ruthenicus)
- Echinops sahyadricus
- Echinops setifer
- Echinops sphaerocephalus
- Echinops spinosissimus
- Echinops tournefortii
- Echinops tschimganicus
- Echinops kazerunensis
Gallery
<gallery>
File:Echinops setifer ja 01.jpg|Echinops setifer in Japan
File:Echinops adenocaulos 03.jpg|alt=Echinops adenocaulos in a black background|Echinops adenocaulos in north Africa
File:Echinops adenocaulos 01.jpg|Echinops adenocaulos before flowering
File:Echinops sphaerocephalus 01.jpg|Echinops sphaerocephalus in Setif, Algeria
File:HPIM8079.JPG|Echinops ruthenicus
File:Echinops spinosissimus (KPFC) 04.jpg|Echinops spinoissimus in Greece
File:Ttye7628629.jpg|Echinops macrophyllus in Iran
File:Gh747.jpg|Echinops macrophyllus
File:Echinops sphaerocephalus (habitus).jpg|Echinops sphaerocephalus in Russia
</gallery>