Arctopus (original) (raw)

Arctopus is a genus of flowering plant in the Apiaceae, with 3 species. It is endemic to southern Africa. The genus name means "bears foot" (from ἄρκτος árktos "bear" and πούς pous "foot") in reference to the curious growth habit, resembling a large footprint. The species were used in Khoisan medicine and adopted by the early settlers who gave them the Afrikaans name of sieketroos (= "sickness-comfort" i.e. "sickness remedy") They are atypical members of the Apiaceae with the leaves growing flat on the ground and are dioecious, having separate male and female plants.