Cat's claw

Cat's claw, also called Uncaria tomentosa, is a plant species belonging to the family of the reddish plants (Rubiaceae). It is particularly well known as an ingredient in medicines. Its main area of distribution is in South America, where it extends over the entire Amazon region from Bolivia, Brazil, Peru, Colombia, Ecuador, Surinam and Guyana to Panama and Puerto Rico.

Uncaria tomentosa grows preferentially on moist, shady soil in natural rainforest. When cultivated, the plants remain small and bushy.

The roots of Uncaria tomentosa grow a few centimetres below the surface. Above ground, the plant forms short shoots with oval-shaped pairs of leaves on its main shoots, which reach into the canopy of its carrier trees. In the leaf axils there are sickle-shaped, curved retaining organs that resemble the shape of a cat's claw. In the flowering period, the thorns are replaced by risky inflorescences with yellow colouring.

Uncaria tomentosa is the parent plant of Uncariae tomentosae radix