![]() ![]() The flowers are attractive to sunbirds.Īloe arborescens Miller 1768 Syn: A. Flowers are followed by dehiscent capsules containing winged seeds.Īloe africana is native to the coastal Eastern Cape of South Africa especially around Uitenhage and Port Elizabeth, where it experiences rainfall throughout the year. The solitary or branched inflorescence produced in early Spring, is a dense raceme of tubular yellow flowers distinctively curving upwards and with exserted orange stamens. The gray-green lanceolate succulent leaves have small, sharp reddish-brown marginal teeth. This medium-sized solitary plant grows up to 6ft tall. Native to sandstone mountains (3000 - 5000ft) of the South African Mpumalanga (Eastern Transvaal), a warm Summer rainfall area with light frosts in Winter.Īloe africana Miller 1768 (Uitenhaagsaalwyn) The 3ft inflorescence is branched with 5 - 10 cylindrical racemes of dull-red tubular flowers with swollen bases and exserted stamens. The tapering yellowish-green succulent leaves have longitudinal lines or spots and reddish-brown marginal teeth. This Aloe is stemless or with a very short stem. Name: Latin affinis = "related to, resembling" (other spotted Aloes) The inflorescence is a raceme of tubular orange-red flowers. Native to hot, dry mountains of Zimbabwe.Ī low-growing sprawling Aloe whose recurved blue-green leaves with toothed margins, colour up violet to bronze in strong light. The branched inflorescence has up to four dense cylindrical racemes of yellow flowers. Leaf edges have many small sharp reddish teeth. The large rosettes are formed from light-green succulent leaves, spotted with distinctive white pustules and reddish prickles, especially on their lower surface. Aloe vera & Aloe ferox are the basis of a sustainable £multi-million industry in South Africa.Īloe aculeata Pole-Evans 1915 (Red Hot Poker Aloe) Toxic reactions by sensitive individuals to Aloe barbadensis ( Aloe vera) have been reported, despite its widespread, mainly safe use.Īloe ferox and other species are cultivated for the bitter properties of their sap (bitter Aloes) which discourages predators. It is important to use the correct species of Aloe for medicinal preparations, as some species e.g. This species is of considerable economic importance and extracts are included in all manner of pharmaceutical preparations for the skin, treatment of burns and for ingestion. The Greek herbal of Dioscorides (41-68 AD) recommends Aloe applied externally for wounds, hemorrhoids, ulcers and hair loss, and internally as a laxative.Īloe vera became so widely grown as a medicinal plant in ancient times that its exact region of origin is a mystery. Aloes were known to the Greeks by 400 BC. 1552 BC) refers to the medicinal value of Aloes, which were also used in embalming. Although Aloes are mentioned in the Bible, this probably refers to another resinous plant. Aloes feature in prehistoric rock art by bushmen, and have been cultivated for thousands of years. They can flower many times with clusters of yellow, orange or red tubular flowers, angled downwards on a simple or branched inflorescence.Īloes are distributed across sub-Saharan Africa, Madagascar, and Arabia. Aloes, with a waxy surface to their succulent leaves, are well-adapted to harsh climates with infrequent precipitation. The genus includes small grass-like herbs and stemless succulent rosettes a few inches tall to larger species with stout 60ft trunks, occupying the ecological niche of trees. Over 450 species of Aloe have been described with diverse forms and sizes. Name: Greek alsos, Arabic alloeh = bitter Doubtless there will be further revisions of these changes, so I'm not rushing to change my plant labels yet.Ĭlick on the pictures below for a higher quality image. New nothogenera have also been created for intergeneric hybrids of the above genera. ![]() The genus Astroloba is unchanged or transferred to Tulista. Kumara - Aloe plicatilis & Aloe haemanthifolia Gonialoe - Aloe section Serrulatae, including Aloe variegata ![]() Note: recent revisions of the Aloaceae ( Alooideae) based on DNA analysis from which evolutionary relationships are inferred, change the large genus Aloe which is split into:Īloe - everything not listed below plus ChortolirionĪloiampelos - 7 species of scrambling AloesĪristaloe - monotypic for Aloe aristata or -> Tulista ![]()
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