Hoodia (; known locally as 'ghaap' or 'bobbejaanghaap') is a genus of flowering plants in the family Apocynaceae, under the subfamily Asclepiadoideae, native to Southern Africa.One species of Hoodia in particular, Hoodia gordonii, has achieved a degree of fame and controversy, after being investigated for use as a possible appetite suppressant.
The group was first described as a genus in 1844.Hoodia are stem succulents, described as 'cactiform' because of their remarkable similarity to the unrelated ...