Where is Harpagophytum procumbens found?
Where is Harpagophytum procumbens found?
It is found in Angola, Botswana, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Namibia, Mozambique and South Africa. Harpagophytum procumbens is a perennial herb with a succulent taproot. The annual, creeping stems can be up to 2 m long. They grow from a primary (or ‘mother’ tuber) whose taproot can be up to 2 m deep.
What is Harpagophytum procumbens used for?
Native to southern Africa, devil’s claw (Harpagophytum procumbens) gets its name from the tiny hooks that cover its fruit. Historically, devil’s claw has been used to treat pain, liver and kidney problems, fever, and malaria. It has also been used in ointments to heal sores, boils, and other skin problems.
What is the common name for Harpagophytum procumbens?
devil’s claw
Harpagophytum (/ˌhɑːrpəˈɡɒfɪtəm/ HAR-pə-GOF-it-əm), also called grapple plant, wood spider, and most commonly devil’s claw, is a genus of plants in the sesame family, native to southern Africa. Plants of the genus owe their common name “devil’s claw” to the peculiar appearance of their hooked fruit.
What plant do devil’s claws come from?
Proboscidea
Proboscidea is a genus of flowering plant in the family Martyniaceae, some of whose species are known as devil’s claw, devil’s horn, ram’s horn, or unicorn plant. The plants produce long, hooked seed pods.
Where is devil’s claw found?
Devil’s claw grows across the Sonoran desert, from southern California into Texas and south into Mexico. They occur most often in disturbed soils and may be common in agricultural fields or alongside roads. Due to its fleshy taproot, the perennial species is less water dependent than the annual.
What are the benefits of devils claw?
The roots and tubers of the plant are used to make medicine. Devil’s claw is used for “hardening of the arteries” (atherosclerosis), arthritis, gout, muscle pain (myalgia), back pain, tendonitis, chest pain, gastrointestinal (GI) upset or heart burn, fever, and migraine headache.
Can you eat Devils claw?
Indigenous peoples of the southwestern United States and Mexico made good use of Devil’s Claw. The pods and seeds are both edible and nutritious. Native tribes and settlers would gather the green pods in early summer and cook them like okra. The unripe pods reportedly were good pickled as well.
Does Devils claw raise blood pressure?
Heart and circulation problems: Devil’s claw may affect heart rate, heartbeat, and blood pressure. It might harm people with disorders of the heart and circulation.
Can humans take devils claw?
As a result of this animal study, researchers suggested that the plant may contribute to pain reduction and have antioxidant properties. A person can take devil’s claw as a supplement in the form of a powder, herbal tea, capsules, or concentrated extracts.
