- Pelargonium sidoides, also known as umckaloabo, is a member of the Geranium family and is native to South Africa. The name umckaloabo is derived from two independent Zulu words: "umkhuhlane," meaning fever and cough related diseases, and "uhlabo," meaning chest pain.
- For centuries the roots of Pelargonium sidoides DC have been used in traditional South African medicine for the treatment of respiratory diseases, diarrhea, dysmenorrhea (painful menstruation), and liver disorders. Extracts of the root have been available in German pharmacies since 1983 without prescription and have been widely used to treat infections of the sinus, throat, and respiratory tract. In modern times, an aqueous formulation of the roots of Pelargonium sidoides called EPs 7630 has been studied in humans as a potential treatment for bronchitis (acute), acute pharyngitis (acute non-group A beta-hemolytic streptococcus tonsillopharyngitis), and the common cold.