Hoodia is a
genus of
flowering plants in the
family Apocynaceae, under the subfamily
Asclepiadoideae, native to
Southern Africa. They are
stem succulents, described as "cactiform" because of their remarkable similarity to the unrelated
cactus family. They can reach up to 1 m high and have large
flowers, often with a tan colour and strong smell. The group was first described as a genus in 1844. The genus became internationally known and threatened by collectors, after a marketing campaign falsely claiming that it was an appetite suppressant for weight loss.