Medicinal Plants of Namibia | Page 27

Plant:!Hoodia&spp.!
Family:!Apocynaceae,!formerly!Ascelpiadaceae45!
!
Since!the!Hoodia!genus!has!a!uniform!appearance!
and!structure,!individual!species!are!typically!
identified!when!in!flower.!!As!a!result,!the!entire!
genus!will!be!addressed!for!medicinal!purposes!
since!there!are!indications!that!several!species!
have!the!same!medicinal!properties5,!7,!45,!46.!!!
(
Common(names:!!
!Khobagu!(biodiversity.org.na)!
Hoodias!(biodiversity.org.na)!
(
Range:((
Hoodia!species!can!be!found!in!sand!plains,!coastal!Namib!Desert,!Mopane!
shrubland,!and!on!rocky!slopes!of!Namibia’s!large!mountains!such!as!Brandberg,!the!
Sperrgebiet,!in!the!Kunene,!toward!the!Great!Karas!Mountains,!along!the!Swakop!
River!and!Tiras!Mountains!that!occur!in!the!northwest,!west!and!south!of!Namibia37.!!!
(
Diagnostic(characteristics:!
A!usual!attribute!of!most!Hoodia!spp.,!Hoodia&gordonii!has!“partly!fused!bases”45.!!
Hoodia&currorii&can!reach!up!to!1m!in!height!from!its!basal,!fleshy!stems6.!!Hoodia&
parviflora&prefers!the!shelter!of!other!plants45.!!Their!flowers!range!in!size,!tending!
to!be!no!bigger!(and!similar!in!shape)!than!the!palm!of!a!hand6.!!They!also!range!in!
color,!from!yellows!and!pinks!to!purples6,!7.!!These!flowers,!blooming!after!periods!
of!rain,!smell!of!rotting!flesh!to!attract!flies!as!pollinators6.!
!!
Governmental(protection(status:(Hoodia&parviflora!is!protected!by!the!Namibian!
government7.!!
(
Indigenous(medicinal(use:!!
For!medicinal!uses,!“fleshy!stems!are!sliced!and!dried”7.!!Interestingly,!however,!
“wildSharvesting!is!not!sustainable!and!largeSscale!cultivation!has!been!initiated”7.!
Hoodia&parviflora!and!Hoodia&gordonii!are!also!used!as!appetite!suppressants7.!!!
Hoodia&gordonii,!in!addition!to!being!an!appetite!suppressant,!also!suppresses!thirst.!!
This!species!has!been!used!to!treat!“hemorrhoids,!tuberculosis,!diabetes,!
indigestion,!hypertension,![and]!stomachaches”45.!!!
!
The!Himba!use!the!Hoodia!plant!by!taking!off!the!thorns50.!!The!
interior!of!the!plant!is!consumed!to!manage!“fever,!headache,!
and!other!common!sickness”50.!!
&
Hoodia&currori!has!a!stem!that!“is!edible!and!very!refreshing”43,!
47.!For!a!diabetes!treatment,!the!plant’s!outer!skin!and!spines!
must!first!be!taken!off47.!!!Pencil!shape!and!sized!pieces!are!cut!