CAT'S CLAW DESCRIPTION
Uncaria tomentosa Wild D.C. is a plant harvested from woody vines that grow
over 100 feet in length as they attach and wind their way up through the trees of
the Peruvian rain forests. This vine gets its name from the small thornes at the base of the
leaves, which looks like a cat's claw. These claws enable the vine to attach itself around the trees.
Leaves has small petiole up to 1,5 cm long and limb has a membranous
consistency. They are egg-shaped and 9 to 17 cm long (or 10 to 15 cm, according other scientists)
and 4,3 to 9,0 cm width; they are sharp, and sometimes rounded on the top. Their color is green-yellowish,
opaque on the face and pale green on the back. Thick crossed fine light fuzz on their leaves' back or on
veins or small veins give the name of "tomentosa". Side veins (nerves) are curved, sharp-cornered
and frequently fade, and number 8 to 10.
The inflorescence reaches up to 9 cm long (axillary and sometimes terminal);
clusters are small with up to 5 small heads; peduncles rang between 1,0 to 3,5
cm long and 0,8 to 3,0 mm diameter ending in a single globular floral capitulum
or axillary termination (from the peduncle); it has also two pair of well-defined and
opposed branches, each one ends in round appendage with small heads of 1,5 to 2,0 cm diameter.
Flowers are directly attached by the base (sessile) and yellow-colored.
They have a funnel-shaped corolla of 5,0 mm long and 0,6 mm diameter,
approach; glabrous adaxial surface with five reflex lobes; five sessile
stames with egg-shaped anthers of 1,1 to 1,5 mm long. The ovary is lineal
and has two locules with a light thin septum, its length is 4,5 to 6,0 mm.
GEOGRAPHIC DISTRIBUTION
In Peru: Loreto department: outlet of the
Santiago river; San Martin department: Mariscal
Cáceres province; Junin: Chanchamayo,
La Merced; Pasco department: Oxapampa,
Pozuzo; Madre de Dios: Manú, Tahuamanú;
Cuzco department: La Convención, Paucaritambo.
Cat's Claw has been found from 0 m at the sea level
to 500 or 600 m at the sea level (Brako L, Zaruchi J. 1993).
Some scientists prefer to work with Cat's Claw harvested from
75 m at the sea level in the Peruvian forests (Gilberto Dominguez T. UNALM) 1994).
USES IN PERUVIAN TRADITIONAL MINE Uncaria tomentosa
Some of the diseases treated by the Peruvian
Traditional Medicine with the Cat's Claw
specie: Uncaria tomentosa Willd D.C., are as follows:
- Any kind of inflammatory processes with the following signs and/or
symptoms in organs and/or systems: arthritis (no specific classification) gastritis (of any ethiology),
dermatological problems, genital-urinary tract inflammation processes, etc.
- Asthma
- Gatric ulcer
- Diabetes
- Tumors
- Degenerative diseases: cancer (women genital tract, lungs, gastric, etc.)
- Viral infection
- Menstrual disorders
- Convalescence period and general weakness state
- Gonorrhea: specially studied in the Peruvian group Bora (Maynas province, Loreto department)
