Description
Sutherlandia frutescens (Cancer Bush)
Sutherlandia Frutescens is regarded as the most profound and multi-purpose of all medicinal plants in Southern Africa, because of its efficacy as a safe tonic for diverse health conditions it has enjoyed a long history of use by all cultures in Southern Africa.
Sutherlandia powerfully assists the body to mobilize its own resources to cope with diverse physical and mental stresses and it should therefore be more correctly known as an adaptogenic tonic.
The traditional Tswana name of Phetola alludes to this:
Phetola means it changes, meaning that the plant changes the course of many illnesses into a favorable outcome. (Similar to the European concept of an alternative).
The North Sotho name of Lerumo-lamadi means the spear for the blood symbolising that Sutherlandia is a powerful blood-purifier or all-purpose tonic.