Anne Robins
To what extent can Hemp Agrimony (Eupatorium cannabinum) be said to be a native version of Echinacea?
Abstract
Our indigenous traditional medicinal herb Eupatorium cannabinum (Hemp Agrimony) is not commonly used in modern herbalism yet modern literature has drawn comparisons between this and the extremely popular North American immune stimulant Echinacea purpurea. The aims of this dissertation were to find out and critically evaluate why this comparison has been made and to identify areas where the two herbs differ, and hence where this belief may be limiting our modern use of the herb. This research also aimed to evaluate the safety of using this herb with regard to its pyrrolizidine alkaloid content.
The traditional and modern uses of E. cannabinum are presented in a literature review. Relevant modern research is also reviewed in order to identify and evaluate the reasoning behind the above comparison, as well as to substantiate some of the current uses, and to evaluate why use of this herb has declined.
Conclusions drawn were that despite their similarities in their use for acute fevers and the common constituents, immune-stimulating polysaccharides, there are considerable differences between the two herbs. E. cannabinum has a far more extensive range of actions than Echinacea and consequently a much wider range of uses. If E. cannabinum is seen as simply a native version of Echinacea, then this may create a tendency to limit our use of the herb for other things such as arthritis and liver problems.
