Devil’s claw is a tuberous, creeping plant found in the Kalahari Desert
of South Africa. It is so-named because of the claw-like appendages
attached to the fruit. Despite its small size, the plant has a long
taproot from which secondary roots protrude. These are the parts that
are harvested from this herb.
The chemical composition of devil’s claw root includes carbohydrates,
sterols, the flavonoids kaempferol and luteolin, and a number of iridoid
glycosides, most notably harpagoside.
