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.