BOTANICAL GUIDE
Kanna is the common name for Sceletium tortuosum, a small succulent native to South Africa. This guide covers what the plant is, which compounds it contains, how raw material differs from an extract, and how to read the documentation that tells you what you are actually buying.
We make no health claims and give no usage or dosage guidance. What follows is botanical, analytical, and practical information only.
| Botanical name | Sceletium tortuosum |
|---|---|
| Family | Aizoaceae |
| Common names | Kanna, channa, kougoed |
| Origin | South Africa — arid regions of the Northern and Western Cape |
| Part used | Aerial parts (leaves and stems) |
| Characteristic compounds | Mesembrine, mesembrenone, Δ7-mesembrenone and related alkaloids |
| Common forms | Dried raw material, powder, standardised extract, liquid extract |
| Quality measure | Standardised total alkaloid content, verified by HPLC |
Sceletium tortuosum is a low-growing succulent in the Aizoaceae family, the same family as the ice plants. It has fleshy leaves, a sprawling habit, and small flowers with narrow petals. The genus name refers to the skeletal pattern of leaf veins that remains visible once the leaves dry out.
The plant is endemic to South Africa and occurs naturally in arid and semi-arid parts of the Northern and Western Cape. It is adapted to low rainfall, high light, and sandy or rocky soils. Today, material also comes from cultivation rather than wild harvest, which allows for more consistent raw material and reduces pressure on wild populations.
The aerial parts — leaves and stems — are the portion collected and processed. These are dried, milled, and either used as raw material or taken forward into an extraction process.
You will encounter several names for the same plant. Kanna and channa are the most common. Kougoed is an Afrikaans term derived from words meaning “chew” and “stuff”, and it refers specifically to traditionally prepared, fermented plant material rather than to a modern extract. Note that a few unrelated plants share similar common names, so the botanical name Sceletium tortuosum is the only reliable identifier.
Kanna has a documented history among the San and Khoikhoi peoples of southern Africa, and seventeenth-century Dutch East India Company records mention trade in the plant under the name “Canna”. That written record is one of the earliest European references to it.
The traditional preparation known as kougoed is a fermentation process, not a simple drying step. Harvested plant material was crushed or bruised, sealed and left to ferment for a period, then spread out and dried. The practice is well documented ethnobotanically and is what distinguishes traditionally prepared material from plain dried leaf.
We describe this history because it is part of the plant’s identity and origin. We do not make claims about traditional purpose or outcome.
Alkaloids are nitrogen-containing compounds produced by many plants. In Sceletium tortuosum, the characteristic alkaloids share a common structural family, which is why their names carry the mesembr- prefix. Together they make up what is measured as “total alkaloid content”.
The best known and usually the most abundant alkaloid in the plant. Because it is straightforward to quantify, it is frequently used as a marker compound on labels and in laboratory analysis.
A structurally related alkaloid that is typically present in smaller amounts than mesembrine. Its proportion varies considerably between plants and between processing methods.
Another member of the same family, generally present as a minor constituent. It is one of the compounds that a full-spectrum process aims to retain rather than strip out.
Beyond the three above, the plant contains further related compounds — mesembranol and epimesembranol among them — usually grouped on a certificate as “other alkaloids”.
Alkaloid content is not fixed. It shifts with genetics and chemotype, growing conditions, time of harvest, drying method, and any fermentation or extraction step applied afterwards. Two batches of raw kanna from different sources can differ substantially. This natural variability is the entire reason standardisation exists.
The two are different materials, and the distinction matters when comparing products or prices.
Dried and milled plant material, sometimes fermented in the traditional manner. Its alkaloid content is whatever the plant happened to produce, so it varies from harvest to harvest unless it has been analysed.
Material in which the alkaloids have been drawn out of the plant matrix and concentrated, so a given weight contains a defined, verified proportion of actives. A properly made extract is more consistent than raw material because the concentration is set during manufacture and confirmed by analysis rather than left to nature.
An extract is therefore not simply “stronger kanna”. It is a material with a stated, measurable specification — which is what makes it possible to compare one product against another at all.
Two very different numbers appear on extract labels, and they are often confused.
A ratio states how many parts of raw plant material went into one part of finished extract. It is a processing statement, not a content statement. Because the starting material varies in alkaloid content, the same ratio applied to two different harvests produces two different results. A ratio on its own does not tell you what is in the jar.
A standardisation states the verified proportion of active compounds in the finished product, and the manufacturer holds that figure constant from batch to batch. This is the number that allows a meaningful comparison between products, and it is only credible when a batch-specific certificate backs it up.
Where both figures are shown, the standardisation is the one that carries information. Where only a ratio is shown, treat the specification as approximate.
An isolate concentrates a single target alkaloid and discards the rest. A full-spectrum extract is processed to retain the plant’s broader native alkaloid profile while still meeting a defined total content. Both approaches are legitimate manufacturing choices; they simply produce different materials, and the label should tell you which one you have.
Concentrated extracts are often combined with a carrier so the powder handles and measures consistently. Common examples include tapioca and amorphous silica. These should be declared. A label that lists nothing beyond the extract itself is not necessarily purer — it may simply be less transparent.
Our MESEMBRA™ 3% Kanna Extract lists its measured alkaloid breakdown and its carriers in full, so every figure on the page can be checked against the batch certificate.
A Certificate of Analysis, or COA, is the laboratory document that confirms what a specific batch actually contains. It is batch-numbered and dated, and it is the difference between a stated specification and a verified one.
Confirmation that the material is the species it claims to be. Botanical identity is the first thing a certificate should establish, because everything else is meaningless if the plant is wrong.
The measured alkaloid content, normally determined by HPLC (high-performance liquid chromatography). A good certificate breaks the figure down by individual alkaloid rather than reporting a single total.
Screening for contaminants — typically heavy metals, microbiological counts, and, where a solvent process has been used, residual solvents. Pesticide screening may also be included.
Confirm that the batch number on the certificate matches the batch you have, that the date is recent enough to be relevant, that the issuing laboratory is independent of the seller, and that the figures on the certificate match the figures printed on the label. A certificate that cannot be matched to a specific batch is marketing, not documentation.
Extraction methods differ between manufacturers, but the sequence is broadly consistent.
Aerial parts are harvested and dried under controlled conditions. Drying method and speed influence the alkaloid profile of the finished material.
The dried material is treated so that the alkaloids move out of the plant matrix and into a liquid phase. Conventional processes use solvents such as ethanol; other approaches avoid solvents altogether. The method chosen affects both which compounds are captured and what residues must later be tested for.
Spent plant matter is separated out and the liquid is concentrated, raising the proportion of alkaloids relative to total mass.
The concentrate is adjusted to a defined alkaloid content and combined with carriers so that it forms a stable, uniform, measurable powder.
The finished batch is tested — independently, in a well-run supply chain — and the resulting certificate is what allows the batch to be released with a stated specification.
Kanna One extracts are produced through a patented full-spectrum process and analysed batch by batch. Read more on the product page.
Eight things worth checking before buying any kanna extract, from us or from anyone else.
If you are sourcing for a brand or in bulk, the same checks apply at larger volume — see wholesale supply.
Plant alkaloids degrade with exposure to light, heat, oxygen, and moisture. Extracts should be kept sealed, in a cool and dry place, away from direct sunlight. Opaque containers protect better than clear ones. Concentrated powders are also hygroscopic, so containers are best opened only briefly and closed firmly afterwards.
Always follow the batch-specific best-before date printed on the product label rather than a general assumption about shelf life.
The regulatory position of Sceletium tortuosum is not uniform. Rules differ between countries and can change, and they may cover import, sale, and the category a product is placed in. Some products are available only in certain markets for that reason.
Buyers are responsible for confirming that a product is legal to import and hold in their own country before ordering. Our Terms of Sale set this out in full, and if you need clarity for a specific market you can contact us.
Kanna is the common name for Sceletium tortuosum, a succulent native to South Africa with a long documented history among the San and Khoikhoi peoples. It is available as dried raw material and as standardised extracts.
None — they are the same plant. Sceletium tortuosum is the botanical name; kanna is the common name. Because common names are inconsistent, the botanical name is the reliable identifier.
It means each batch is manufactured to contain at least that verified proportion of alkaloids, confirmed by laboratory analysis, so the material is consistent from batch to batch.
A ratio describes how much raw material was concentrated; a standardisation states the verified alkaloid content of the finished product. Only the second gives you a specification you can compare.
That the extract is processed to retain the plant’s broader natural alkaloid profile rather than isolating one compound and discarding the rest.
It depends on your country, and rules change. You are responsible for checking local regulations before ordering.
No. We make no medical or health claims. Our position is quality, testing, transparency and education — proof rather than promises.
Kanna One refines South African Sceletium tortuosum into standardised, batch-tested extracts under the MESEMBRA™ name. Every figure we publish is one you can check against a certificate.
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For adults 18+. Not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. This page is botanical and analytical information only and is not medical, legal, or usage advice.
