Echinacea simulata McGregor

Summary Echinacea simulata McGregor (Compositae: Heliantheae: Zinniinae) is described and illustrated. Notes are provided for the species' cultivation, propagation, likely pests and diseases, and availability. A full synonymy is given, along with type citations and known presence of type material, together with relevant notes. Statements of the species' distribution, habitat and ecology, phenology, etymology, conservation status and vernacular names are provided. Whilst the conservation status of the species (across its whole range), is considered as ‘Apparently Secure’ (i.e. Least Concern), the species is clearly under various threats in some states throughout its range. Some of the threats (removal of plants from the wild, and over‐zealous seed collecting) are doubtless because of its similarity to E. pallida , one of the ‘Echinacea’ trio of species used in herbal medicines. The material from Wakehurst's North American Prairie plantings was originally named as E. pallida , a similar species but which has white pollen and burgundy‐coloured paleae, but this taxon has yellow pollen and pinkish to purple or orange paleae, critical determination showed it to be E. simulata . Differences in the taxonomic treatment of this taxon are commented on, as is the relationships with other species. The proposed infrageneric classification is in some doubt, especially when compared with the phylogeny provided by chloroplast genomes.