botanical record · discovered
Devil's Claw
Harpagophytum procumbens
Devil's Claw · Grapple Plant · Kalahari devil's claw · devil's-claw · garra-do-diabo · grappleplant · unha-do-diabo
At a glance
Origin / distribution: South Africa, ZA
Cultural traditions: not documented
Recorded uses: Cancer, Ulcer, Purgative, Boil
Science studied: BIOSIDE, FISETIN, HARPAGOQUINONE, ISOACETOSIDE
Research volume: 0 indexed records · volume only · methodology ↗
Legal status: Varies by jurisdiction; not assessed in this record.
Names and identity
Family: Pedaliaceae
Scientific name: Harpagophytum procumbens
Common names: Devil's Claw, Grapple Plant, Kalahari devil's claw, devil's-claw, garra-do-diabo, grappleplant, unha-do-diabo
POWO: 675824-1 · WCVP June 2026 / POWO backbone
History
The source record documents this plant in South Africa, Elsewhere, ZA.
It records these historical or traditional applications:
- Cancer
- Ulcer
- Purgative
- Boil
- Fever
- Sore
This summary is limited to the cited source record.
Origins and distribution
- South Africa
- Elsewhere
- ZA
Documented cultural uses
- Cancer
- Ulcer
- Purgative
- Boil
- Fever
- Sore
Cultural record detail
These entries are transcribed from the cited ethnobotanical source; they do not represent current advice or a claim of efficacy.
- Cancer · South Africa · "
- Ulcer · Elsewhere · "
- Purgative · Elsewhere · "
- Boil · Elsewhere · "
- Fever · Elsewhere · "
- Sore · Elsewhere · "
Contemporary uses
Contemporary practice is not documented separately in this record.
Scientific research
Indexed records indicate research activity; they do not establish efficacy or safety.
Indexed research records
- Harpagophytum procumbens in musculoskeletal disorders: current evidence and comparison with NSAIDs. · 2026 source ↗
- Correction: Harpagophytum procumbens in musculoskeletal disorders: current evidence and comparison with NSAIDs. · 2026 source ↗
- Non-toxic harpagophytum procumbens (Burch.) DC. ex Meisn. dry extract exhibits repellent and antioxidant activities in nauphoeta cinerea. · 2026 source ↗
Scientific compounds
Chemical presence is not evidence of clinical efficacy.
- BIOSIDE
- FISETIN
- HARPAGOQUINONE
- ISOACETOSIDE
- KAEMPFEROL
- MANGANESE
- PHOSPHORUS
- SELENIUM
- SILICON
- WATER
- ZINC
- CALCIUM
- COBALT
- PROTEIN
- ALUMINUM
- CHROMIUM
show 90 more documented entries
- IRON
- MAGNESIUM
- POTASSIUM
- SODIUM
- TIN
- ACETOSIDE
- ALANINE
- PHENYLALANINE
- ARGININE
- ASPARTIC-ACID
- 2-METHOXY-BENZYL ALCOHOL
- 4-METHOXY-BENZYL ALCOHOL
- CAFFEIC-ACID
- CAMPESTEROL
- CAMPESTEROL-3-O-BETA-D-GLUCOSIDE
- CHARPAGOSIDE
- CHLOROGENIC-ACID
- CINNAMIC-ACID
- DAUCOSTEROL
- N-DOCOSANE
- FRUCTOSE
- GALACTOSE
- GLUCOSE
- GLUTAMIC-ACID
- GLYCINE
- HARPAGIDE
- 8-O(P-COUMAROYL)-HARPAGIDE
- 8-P-COUMAROYL-HARPAGIDE
- HARPAGOGENIN
- HARPAGOSIDE
- HARPAQUINONE
- N-HENEICOSANE
- N-HENTRIACONTANE
- N-HEXACOSANE
- HISTIDINE
- MYO-INOSITOL
- KAEMPFERIDE
- LEUCINE
- LINOLEIC-ACID
- LUTEOLIN
- LYSINE
- N-NONACOSANE
- OLEANOLIC-ACID
- OLEANOLIC-ACID-ACETATE
- 3-BETA-ACETYL-OLEANOLIC ACID
- OLEIC-ACID
- PALMITIC-ACID
- N-PENTACOSANE
- BETA-(3'-4'-DIHYDROXY-PHENYL)-ETHYL-O-ALPHA-L-RHAMNOPYRANOSYL(1-3)BETA-D-GLUCOPYRANOSIDE
- PROCUMBIDE
- 6'-O-(P-COUMAROYL)-PROCUMBIDE
- PROCUMBOSIDE
- PROLINE
- RAFFINOSE
- SERINE
- BETA-SITOSTEROL
- SQUALENE
- STACHYOSE
- STEARIC-ACID
- STIGMASTEROL
- STIGMASTEROL-3-O-BETA-D-GLUCOSIDE
- SUCROSE
- N-TETRACOSANE
- N-TRIACONTANE
- URSOLIC-ACID
- URSOLIC ACID ACETATE
- VERBASCOSIDE
- ISOVERBASCOSIDE
- ASCORBIC-ACID
- ASH
- BETA-CAROTENE
- FIBER(CRUDE)
- FIBER(DIETARY)
- FAT
- NIACIN
- RIBOFLAVIN
- SUGARS
- THIAMINE
- CINNAMIC-ACID-ESTER
- IRIDOIDS
- KAEMPFEROL-GLUCOSIDES
- LUTEOLIN-GLUCOSIDES
- N-ALKANES
- PROCUMBIDE-6'-O-P-COUMAROYL-ESTER
- STEROLS
- N-DOTRIACONTANE
- N-HEPTACOSANE
- N-OCTACOSANE
- N-TRICOSANE
- VALINE
Legality
No exact international trade listing was returned by the CITES checklist for this accepted name. Country-specific law is not assessed here.
Consult the CITES species checklist for current international and national requirements.
Reference images
Sources
Plants of the World Online (POWO) · Kew data terms; cite POWO/WCVP
World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP) · CC BY 3.0
show claim source mapping
- identity · DH-SRC-0030
- documented_uses · DH-SRC-0030
- compounds · DH-SRC-0030
- taxonomy · DH-SRC-GBIF · source ↗
- common_names · DH-SRC-GBIF · source ↗
- countries · DH-SRC-GBIF · source ↗
- wfo_taxonomy · DH-SRC-0003 · source ↗
- cultural_records · DH-SRC-0030 · source ↗
- powo_taxonomy · DH-SRC-0001 · source ↗
- wcvp_taxonomy · DH-SRC-0002 · source ↗
CC0 · Dr. Duke raw CSV archive
Contributions and revisions
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