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Devil's Claw in nature


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Okay, they start off as the claw and get dragged around by the critters. What happens next? How do they get from a claw of seeds to outside the claw to germination? Do they get ripped open? Do they land in a pond? Do they get caught in a brushfire? Do they spend time in a monsoon season, swelling the claw and the seeds? I read about germination tips and a bit of Indian folklore, but I haven't read anything about what actually happens in nature. Does anyone know?

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i was under the impression that once they were stcuk to and animals hooves, feet, or whatever, they were crushed (the pods) and the seeds were then released. i dunno though...

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"The fruits are well adapted for dispersal by animals as the hooks get caught in feet and hair or skin and are carried away. Eventually they wear down, or drop off and break open, releasing the seeds far from the parent. Sometimes the animals die of starvation as the fruits catch on mouths and cannot be dislodged. Wind may also help in dispersal and trampling will help bury the seeds. The secondary tubers are dug up and eaten by porcupines and antelope such as duiker and steenbok.

Little is known about cultivating devil's claw and, as yet, it is not used in gardens. This is a pity and it should be tried for its beauty, let alone its medicinal properties. One method used for a farming trial (Strohbach 2004) could be adapted for a garden. Sow seed in a trench during mid- to late summer. Make the trench 0.2 m deep and up to 0.6 m wide in sand and line it with some mesh such as fly-gauze to prevent the tubers growing too deep. Mix some vermiculite or other water-retaining substance in the bottom 0.15 m of soil to help hold moisture. Sow the seeds onto this at a rate of about 100 g per 1 m row. Then cover the seed with 50 mm of sand and water daily. Take the small tubers out of the trenches just before winter and store them. Then plant them out in October and November (early summer), 0.1 m deep and 0.5 m apart. First prepare the ground by clearing away all other vegetation in a strip 3 m wide, alternating with the same width of uncleared ground, that will act as a windbreak. Little fertilizer and water are needed. In fact, over watering may lead to fungus problems. The only pests to worry about are animals eating the tubers. Flowers should appear in about the second summer after planting out. Wait 4 years for the first harvest when each plant should yield about 2 kg of fresh or ± 0.3 kg dry tuber.

Source: Plantzafrica.com

Hope that helps in some way...?

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On a field botany trip I found a few pods scattered about in the sand and rock. The ones I picked up appeared to be from the year before. The pod is like a wishbone in that it splits when you pull on claws. The first split uncovers the first two locules (seed chamber), however there are still more seeds hidden behind a hard sheath in both of the claw bearing halves.

"i was under the impression that once they were stuck to and animals hooves, feet, or whatever, they were crushed (the pods) and the seeds were then released"

That is quite possible. The pods have a lot of give. I could not simply break one of the claws off. The claw would bend and twist as I tried to snap it off. It felt like trying to break a young branch of a tree which holds on to the very last fiber. The pod itself is solid. I was using knives and stones trying to crack it open but I had little luck.

That same night me and other members of the trip lit several of the pods on fire to see if it was a brush fire that would cause the seeds to release. The ignited pods did split down the center releasing a few seeds. The pod was slow to burn.

Thats about all I noticed. When i experimented with them.

The speices of pods I used was Proboscidea parviflora in Southern Utah.

Edited by CarnivorousBlake
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On a field botany trip I found a few pods scattered about in the sand and rock. The ones I picked up appeared to be from the year before. The pod is like a wishbone in that it splits when you pull on claws. The first split uncovers the first two locules (seed chamber), however there are still more seeds hidden behind a hard sheath in both of the claw bearing halves.

"i was under the impression that once they were stuck to and animals hooves, feet, or whatever, they were crushed (the pods) and the seeds were then released"

That is quite possible. The pods have a lot of give. I could not simply break one of the claws off. The claw would bend and twist as I tried to snap it off. It felt like trying to break a young branch of a tree which holds on to the very last fiber. The pod itself is solid. I was using knives and stones trying to crack it open but I had little luck.

That same night me and other members of the trip lit several of the pods on fire to see if it was a brush fire that would cause the seeds to release. The ignited pods did split down the center releasing a few seeds. The pod was slow to burn.

Thats about all I noticed. When i experimented with them.

The speices of pods I used was Proboscidea parviflora in Southern Utah.

Great observations! :)

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"The fruits are well adapted for dispersal by animals as the hooks get caught in feet and hair or skin and are carried away. Eventually they wear down, or drop off and break open, releasing the seeds far from the parent. Sometimes the animals die of starvation as the fruits catch on mouths and cannot be dislodged. Wind may also help in dispersal and trampling will help bury the seeds. The secondary tubers are dug up and eaten by porcupines and antelope such as duiker and steenbok.

Little is known about cultivating devil's claw and, as yet, it is not used in gardens. This is a pity and it should be tried for its beauty, let alone its medicinal properties. One method used for a farming trial (Strohbach 2004) could be adapted for a garden. Sow seed in a trench during mid- to late summer. Make the trench 0.2 m deep and up to 0.6 m wide in sand and line it with some mesh such as fly-gauze to prevent the tubers growing too deep. Mix some vermiculite or other water-retaining substance in the bottom 0.15 m of soil to help hold moisture. Sow the seeds onto this at a rate of about 100 g per 1 m row. Then cover the seed with 50 mm of sand and water daily. Take the small tubers out of the trenches just before winter and store them. Then plant them out in October and November (early summer), 0.1 m deep and 0.5 m apart. First prepare the ground by clearing away all other vegetation in a strip 3 m wide, alternating with the same width of uncleared ground, that will act as a windbreak. Little fertilizer and water are needed. In fact, over watering may lead to fungus problems. The only pests to worry about are animals eating the tubers. Flowers should appear in about the second summer after planting out. Wait 4 years for the first harvest when each plant should yield about 2 kg of fresh or ± 0.3 kg dry tuber.

Source: Plantzafrica.com

Hope that helps in some way...?

different devils claw...hence the value of latin names

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we have a lot growing wildly outside my house. after awhile the claw splits or get broke open. i no its not an animal or people because no1 goes where they are and ive seen no anmials around there. iam not sure if the rain does it but i doubt it because we dont get alot of rain. and we dont have many any natural ponds or bush fires out here and no monsoon season.

actualy i collected some seeds last year and they germinated and flowered.

if you want details such as growing conditions ask me.

Edited by adams
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