Illustrated proposal for a guideline on the commercial collection of the medicinal plant

 Harpagophytum procumbens from the environment

(GHP / GcoIP, Good Harvesting/Collecting Practice for Medecinal Plant-Material)

Harvesting / Digging / Collecting Procedure and how to avoid adulterants.

Only harvest the secondary root tubers, the "babies of Sengaparile" and save the primary root, the "mother of Sengaparile" for replanting. Then you will again harvest tubers in the next years.

                                                                               ^{(Dr. E. Schneider, 2000)}

Flowering plant of Harpagophytum procumbens (Pedaliaceae) with a dried fruit.

(E. Schneider)

How to avoid adulterants

J do - Harpagophytum procumbens

K don't - Adulterants, to be avoided

Adulterants specific for Namibia

Dried slices and the characteristic fruit forms of the real Harpagophytum procumbens (left) and the adulterant Harpagophytum zeyheri (right) occuring in northern Namibia. (Credit: E. Schneider; Ihlenfeldt/Hartmann)

Fresh root tubers of the easily confused species Acanthosicyos naudiniana (Cucurbitaceae)- top- and Ipomoea spec.(Convolvulaceae) -middle- and the real Harpagophytum procumbens (Pedaliaceae) -bottom- (Maltahöhe. Namibia)

(Credit: E. Schneider)

Vegetative plant of Acanthosicyos naudiniaria (Cucurbitaceae)(Credit: E.Schneider)

Adulterant Acanthosicyos naudiniana (Cucurbitaceae) root. Samples from the famous Würzburg collection (Prof Czygan) (Credit: E.Schneider)

Flowering plant of Ipomoea spec.(Convolvulaceae)(Credit: E.Schneider)

Dried slices of the adulterant Ipomoea spec(Convolvulaceae) (Maltahöhe. Namibia) 

(Credit: E. Schneider)

Adulterants specific for the Kalahari in South Africa

Fresh root tubers of the easily confused adulterant species in the Kalahari of South Africa. From left to right:

Elophantorrhiza elephantina (Mimosoideae), Cucumis Kalahariensis (Cucurbitaceae), Ipomoea spec.(Convolvulaceae), Janbloed

(Credit: E.Schneider)

 K don't  

K

don't

Sliced fresh root tubers of the adulterant Elephantorrhiza elephantina (Mimosoideae) (Credits: E.Schneider)

Vegetative plant of Cucumis kalahariensis (Cucurbitaceae)

(Credits: E.Schneider)

K

don't

Sliced fresh tubers or the adulterant Cucumis kalahariensis (Cucurbitaceae)

(Credits: E.Schneider)

Flowering plant of Merremia spec (Convolvulaceae) (Credit: E.Schneider)   K don't

Sliced fresh root tubers of the adulterant Merremia spec (Convolvulaceae)

(Credit: E.Schneider)

Root tubers of Janbloed (Credit: E.Schneider)   K don't

Sliced fresh root tubers of the adulterant Janbloed (Credits: E.Schneider)

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Last modified: Januarie 28, 2003