Harpagophytum procumbens 1:1 extract: devil's claw from the Kalahari
Devil's claw grows in southern Africa, mainly in eastern Namibia, southern Botswana and the Kalahari part of South Africa's Northern Cape. It is a low, sprawling plant of dry sandy plains, with a taproot that can reach some two metres down and a cluster of tubers below the surface in which it stores water and food. The name comes from the fruit rather than the flower: it is covered in curved barbs, which is what the Greek harpago (hook) and phyton (plant) refer to. Dutch speakers call it duivelsklauw, Germans Teufelskralle.
Tinctures are made from the tuber material. The San of the Kalahari were digging the plant up generations ago and know it by names such as kakamasha, or sengapirile in Tswana; today most of the harvest is shipped to Europe. This bottle holds that plant material in liquid, concentrated form. The 1:1 label refers to the ratio the tincture was made at: one part plant material per part of finished product. Harpagophytum has a reputation as a decidedly bitter herb, and the taste bears that out. The bottle contains 10 ml and has a dropper, so small amounts are easy to measure into a glass of water.
Use and storage
Follow the instructions on the label and shake the bottle before use. Keep the tincture cool, dry and dark, out of reach of young children. If you take medication, are pregnant or breastfeeding, speak to your doctor or pharmacist first. A varied diet and a healthy lifestyle remain the starting point.
About the Avalon herbal tinctures
The 1:1 extracts form a long list of single herbs, each in the same 10 ml bottle, which makes them easy to compare side by side. Alongside Harpagophytum procumbens, Avalon Magic Plants stocks Salix alba (white willow), Echinacea purpurea (purple coneflower), Taraxacum officinale (dandelion), Ginkgo biloba and Azadirachta indica (neem). Everything leaves our warehouse in discreet packaging.
