Devil's claw belongs to the sesame seed family (Pedaliaceae). Its spiny fruits give rise to its common names 'devil's claw' and 'grapple plant'. The hooks on the fruits can get entangled in animals' fur and hooves, which aids dispersal of the seeds. Harpagophytum is a Greek translation of the common name 'grapple plant'. The specific epithet procumbens means prostrate, referring to the creeping stems of the plant. The only other species in the genus Harpagophytum is H. zeyheri. This is also found in Southern Africa, growing in the Kalahari sands, but the fruits have much shorter spiny arms than those of H. procumbens.