Arctopus is a small genus of three flowering plant species in the carrot family, Apiaceae (order Apiales), endemic to Southern Africa. The genus is immediately distinctive within its family for two atypical traits: the leaves grow flat on the ground in a prostrate rosette, and the plants are dioecious — male and female flowers are borne on entirely separate individuals. The leaves are armed with formidable marginal prickles that can punish bare feet and grazing animals alike.
The genus name alludes to this striking growth form: Arctopus derives from the Greek ἄρκτος (árktos, "bear") and πούς (pous, "foot"), a reference either to the ground-hugging rosette resembling a large bear's footprint, or to the sharp, claw-like prickles fringing the leaves.
All three species have a long history of human use. Khoisan peoples employed them as medicinal plants, and early European settlers in southern Africa adopted this practice, giving the plants the Afrikaans name sieketroos — meaning "sickness-comfort" or "sickness remedy".
Etymology
The genus name Arctopus derives from the Greek ἄρκτος (árktos, "bear") and πούς (pous, "foot"), meaning "bear's foot." This name refers either to the distinctive ground-level rosette growth habit, which resembles a large footprint, or to the formidable prickles fringing the leaves that recall a bear's claws.
Distribution
Arctopus is endemic to Southern Africa, where all three species occur. The genus does not naturally occur outside this region.
Cultural Uses
The species of Arctopus have a documented history of medicinal use among Khoisan peoples of southern Africa. Early European settlers adopted these uses and referred to the plants collectively as sieketroos, an Afrikaans name meaning "sickness-comfort" or "sickness remedy."
