Rubiaceae FAMILY

Uncaria tomentosa

Edibility

2/5

Medicinal

4/5

Safety & Hazards

None known

Botanical Description

Cat's claw is a vigorous, evergreen, spiny climbing shrub scrambling into other plants and attaching itself by means of its stout, recurved spines[ 646 Title New Crops FactSheets Publication Author Website http://www.hort.purdue.edu/newcrop/default.html Publisher Purdue University Year 0 ISBN Description A website dedicated to giving information on potential new agricultural crops. ]. The stems can be up to 30 metres long and 8 - 25cm in diameter near the base[ 369 Title Flora of Costa Rica Publication Author Standley P.C. Website http://www.archive.org/ Publisher Field Museum of Natural History; Chicago Year 1938 ISBN Description Rather dated, but an excellent treatment of the area. Available for download from the internet. ]. Cat’s claw is a popular medicinal herb, mainly gathered from the wild or semi-cultivated, and traded in many countries[ 646 Title New Crops FactSheets Publication Author Website http://www.hort.purdue.edu/newcrop/default.html Publisher Purdue University Year 0 ISBN Description A website dedicated to giving information on potential new agricultural crops. ].

Habitat & Origin

Origintropical

Native RangeS. America - Brazil, Bolivia, Peru, Ecuador, Colombia, Venezuela, the Guyanas; Caribbean - Trinidad; Central America - Panama to Guatemala.

HabitatTypical of primary forest, but also found in disturbed forest and rarely in secondary forest[ 646 Title New Crops FactSheets Publication Author Website http://www.hort.purdue.edu/newcrop/default.html Publisher Purdue University Year 0 ISBN Description A website dedicated to giving information on potential new agricultural crops. ].