About African Hoodia Gordonii Cactus

Is Hoodia Gordonii a cactus? Wrong!  Hoodia Gordonii is a succulent, which looks very much like a cactus and so is erroneously referred to as a cactus by many people.

Hoodia Gordonii is a succulent which grows in the Kalahari Desert region of South Africa. It is part of the plant family Apocynaceae. Out of the twenty different varieties in the Hoodia plant family, it is only Hoodia Gordonii which has appetite suppressing properties.  

Hoodia Gordonii can grow up to one meter in height. It puts forth flowers, that very much resemble the look of the petunia flower, but they give off a strong unpleasant odor. This odor attracts flies, serve the purpose of pollination. It take about five to see years for a Hoodia Gordonii succulent to grow to a stage of maturity, in which it can be eaten for its appetite suppressing properties. 

Hoodia Gordonii requires the extreme temperatures of the desert to grow. It has been used by the San Bushmen, who are a primitive tribe living in the Kalahari Desert, as an appetite suppressant. They survived the scarcity of water and food which is common in the desert region through the use off Hoodia Gordonii for thousands of years. It is also prized for its medicinal value and has been used by them to cure hemorrhoids, hypertension, diabetes and abdominal cramps. Throughout their period of usage of this plant, they have felt no side effects.