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Secondary Roots !
The medicinal material consists of the slice-cut and dried secondary root of the plant. The pri-mary vertical root contains the same constituents but at lower levels than the secondary roots.2Devil’ claw is grown and collected only in natural habitats in southern Africa. The drug is native to steppes on red/brown sand in the south of the African continent (Kalahari savannas and decidu-ous forests in Namibia and parts of the adjacent Republic south of Africa, Botswana, Angola and Zimbabwe but also Madagascar).2 These tubers are obtained by wild collection and by harvesting cultivated plant material on farms planted for continuous production for the medicinal market.
The
root is composed of a tuberous axis (primary root) which goes
vertically in the ground, and secondary roots with protuberances.6These organs can reach 6 cm thickness, 20-25 cm long and 600 g weight when they are fresh. They are recovered with a dark-coloured smooth periderm, a light brown / red brown suber.4
The slices are very hard and smooth.5 The area of the break is cartilaginous, with retracted frag-ments fan-shaped or round slice reminding the aspect of a dried light brown mushroom3, rolled up on edges and marked of fine radial and con-centric stria coming from wood fascicle.6 The slices may sometimes be retracted and light grey to white colored.5 Some yellow to red brown granules can be observed.5.