Echinacea purpurea is an herb in the daisy family that is also known as
black Sampson, purple coneflower and red sunflower. The genus name for
the plant is derived from the Greek word echinos for “hedgehog,” a
reference to the spine-like projections that occupy the surface of the
center cone of the flower.
The root of the plant has a long history of use in North America and
Europe, with a particular focus of study occurring in Germany. Although
the action of the Echinacea is not yet clearly understood, it is
suspected that compounds in the plant inhibit hyaluronidase, an enzyme
that certain bacteria use to invade healthy cells and suppress immune
response.
