Caralluma adscendens
| Caralluma adscendens | |
|---|---|
 | |
| 1832 botanical illustration of C. fimbriata, a synonym of Caralluma adscendens | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| (unranked): | Angiosperms |
| (unranked): | Eudicots |
| (unranked): | Asterids |
| Order: | Gentianales |
| Family: | Apocynaceae |
| Subfamily: | Asclepiadoideae |
| Genus: | Caralluma |
| Species: | C. adscendens |
| Binomial name | |
| Caralluma adscendens (Roxb.) R.Br. | |
| Synonyms[1] | |
| |
Caralluma adscendens is a succulent plant in the family Apocynaceae. Its distribution ranges from India and Sri Lanka through the Arabian peninsula to North Africa and the Sahel.
Plant Use
It has been eaten in rural India for centuries, raw, as a vegetable with spices, or preserved in chutneys and pickles, and is often found as a roadside shrub or boundary marker.
It has been used as a portable food and thirst quencher for hunting. It is also used for its purported ability to suppress hunger and appetite and enhance stamina. It is believed to have an effect on the appetite control centre of the brain.[2] Tribesmen on a day's hunt will often only pack some Caralluma fimbriata to sustain themselves and it is commonly known as "famine food" in India.
Consumer issues
Various diet pills claiming to contain Caralluma fimbriata extracts are marketed for weight loss. The FTC cautions against the use of "miracle diet" products.[3]
The key phytochemical constituents of the herb are pregnane glycosides, flavone glycosides, megastigmane glycosides, and saponins.
External links
References
- ↑ "The Plant List: A Working List of All Plant Species". Retrieved 15 January 2014.
- ↑ Caralluma fimbriata - A new dietary supplement in weight management strategies
- ↑ Weighing the Evidence in Diet Ads, US Federal Trade Commission
 |
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Caralluma adscendens. |