What Is Hoodia gordonii?

Hoodia gordonii is a succulent plant from South Africa; it is part of the succulent family Asclepiadaceae.  Hoodia species grow in very arid regions where it has adapted to survive extended periods of drought by storing nutrients and water in its fleshy stems. Common names include “Xhoba”, pronounced ghoba, Queen of the Namib and Bushmen’s Hats.

Hoodia species can be found growing from central Namibia to southern Angola and southwards into northern South Africa.  The Hoodia cactus is usually found in plains and rocky areas throughout its distribution area.

Hoodia gordonii is also used in Hoodia diet pills that are marketed by companies such as Hoodoba and Desertburn. These pills help keep your appetite under control by making you feel full. Read “How does Hoodia Work?” for more information.

Hoodia gordonii was discovered by near the Orange River in 1776 by Colonel R.J. Gordonii from where its specie name has been derived.  Colonel Gordon referred the plant to Francis Sweet, a botanist interested in classifying plants from South Africa.  Francis Sweet initially described it as Stapelia gordonii but then moved it to the genus Hoodia. Recently all plants that had characteristics of the Stapeliads was reclassified by Dr. Peter Bruyns of the University of Cape Town, he move the genus into the family Apocynaceae.

Before any Hoodia species was classified it was used by the San People of the Kalahari, a local tribe in South Africa, as a food supplement. The San used Hoodia gordonii as a food and water replacement when they went hunting in the Kalahari Desert. The plant had added benefits; it acted as a hunger and thirst suppressant.

Although Hoodia may look like a cactus due to the numerous spikes that are present on its stems it is a succulent. The stems which can vary in height of up to 1 meter are covered in spines that are actually modified leaves that have evolved to protect the plants fleshy stems from a multitude of predators. Hoodia species are pollinated by flies that are attracted to the saucer shaped flowers that emit a scent similar to that of rotting carrion.
There is approximately 16 species in the genus Hoodia of which only Hoodia gordonii has the active ingredient, P57 that is responsible for weight loss.  Biotech firms, such as Phytopharm are interested in developing a synthetic weight loss product that is based on the P57 molecule. Unfortunately this process is proving a little more difficult than anticipated, which is why many companies and farmers have started growing Hoodia gordonii commercially for the various distributers of Hoodia Diet Pills.

Hoodia species  are CITES (Convention on Illicit Trade of Endangered Species) protected, which means  it is illegal to collect Hoodia plants and their seeds from the wild without permission from the local authorities.  In South Africa there are farmers that grow Hoodia gordonii with permission from the local authorities. When these farmers export the raw Hoodia pulp or powder to the various destinations around the world they are required to obtain a CITES which can be obtained from Fauna and Flora. CITES certificates are only issued to farmers after the Hoodia has been inspected to make sure the plants are cultivated and not wild collected.