Caralluma Cactus – Caralluma Adscendens

Caralluma adscendens is a small shrub with basally trailing, then upright, much-branched, succulent stems that are usually 30 – 60cm tall but are occasionally up to 100cm. The stem bases are up to 2cm in diameter.
The plant is harvested from the wild as a local source of food and medicine. A popular traditional medicine it is also cultivated in many localities. The plant is sometimes grown as an ornamental. It is sold in capsule form on the Internet as an appetite suppressant. Several patents have been issued on the preparation of the plant extract and the use of the pregnane glycosides in the treatment of obesity-related problems