View source for Aloe

{{SPlantbox
|familia=Asphodelaceae
|genus=Aloe
|common_name=Aloe
|habit=cacti-succulent
|lifespan=perennial
|exposure=sun
|water=moderate, dry
|features=flowers, drought tolerant
|flowers=red, orange, yellow
|Temp Metric=°F
|image=Aloe_saponaria_1.jpg
|image_width=240
|image_caption=''Aloe maculata'' (A. saponaria)
}}
'''''Aloe''''', also written ''Aloë'', is a [[genus]] containing about four hundred [[species]] of [[flowering plants|flowering]] [[succulent plant|succulent]] [[plants]].  The most common and well known of these is ''[[Aloe vera]]'', or &quot;true aloe&quot;.

The genus is native to [[Africa]], and is common in [[South Africa]]'s [[Cape Province]], the mountains of tropical Africa, and neighbouring areas such as [[Madagascar]], the [[Arabian peninsula]], and the islands off Africa.

Most ''Aloe'' species have a [[rosette (botany)|rosette]] of large, thick, fleshy [[Leaf|leaves]]. The leaves are often lance-shaped with a sharp apex and a spiny margin. ''Aloe'' [[flower]]s are tubular, frequently yellow, pink or red and are borne on densely clustered, simple or branched leafless stems.

Many species of ''Aloe'' appear to be stemless, with the rosette growing directly at ground level;  other varieties may have a branched or unbranched [[plant stem|stem]] from which the fleshy leaves spring. They vary in colour from grey to bright-green and are sometimes striped or [[mottle]]d. Some ''Aloes'' native to South Africa are [[wiktionary:arborescent|arborescent]]. <ref> [http://www.superstock.com/stock-photography/Aloe/Tree Images of aloe trees.] </ref>

{{Inc|
Aloe (Arabic name). Liliaceae, tribe Aloineae. Acaulescent or variously caulescent perennial succulents.

Leaves often large, usually crowded in rosettes or along end of st.: fls. red or yellow, often paler-striped, straight, tubular (Fig. 169), with short straight limb, equaled or surpassed by the stamens.—Afr., especially in the Cape region, 1 species about the Medit. and extensively naturalized in all warmer parts of the world, and 1 in China. Plants of the coolhouse, best planted out in a well-drained place in summer, when they flower prettily.

The generic or scientific name Aloe is a Latinized form of an Arabic name. As an English word it is pronounced in two syllables, thus Al-oe. Popularly this word is loosely used, the common American aloe being Agave americana, the commonest &quot;century plant.&quot; The &quot;bitter aloes&quot; of commerce is a resinous juice much used as a laxative. The best quality is called &quot;Socotrine or Zanzibar aloes,&quot; a product of A. Perryi, which was known by the Greeks of the fourth century B.C. to come from the island of Socotra. The &quot;Barbadoes aloes&quot; is the product of planted in the West Indies. Genera allied to Aloe are Apicra, Gasteria, Haworthia, Pachidendron, and Phylloma. The group is difficult for the botanist, there being few authentic specimens in the herbaria, because of the large size of the plants, the infrequent flowering, and the difficulty of suitably drying them. Monograph by Alwin Berger in Das Pflanzenreich, 1908, hft.33.

Propagation is by seed, which usually is not true to name, and by suckers or cuttings well dried-off. Branching for this purpose may be induced by searing the crown of old plants. Hybrids between the different species and with related genera are easily secured and interesting.

Aloes are much cultivated as decorative plants, being amongst the most popular of desert and succulent plants for their stiff, harsh and rugged habit. Fig. 170. They are often grouped about large public buildings, where they emphasize certain architectural features. Large collections are to be seen only in  botanic  gardens and in the collections of a few fanciers. The largest dealer has nearly one hundred kinds, but grows only five or six kinds in quantity.

Old plants of Aloe will keep healthy for several years in the same pots without a renewal of soil, and flower freely at the same time. The soil most suited to their needs is sandy loam three parts, lime rubble and broken brick one part, with a little decayed manure to strengthen the mixture. Very firm potting is necessary. Drainage is a more important item than soil, and must be perfectly arranged to enable the surplus water to run freely from the soil. Broken bricks are preferable to pieces of pots, large pieces for the bottom of the pot or tub, and smaller pieces above, till the last layer is quite fine. Some of the species need freer rooting conditions than others. A. ciliaris will grow from 5 to 7 feet in a season. A. abyssinica is of robust growth, and differs from most others in the color of the flowers, which are pure yellow, the others being mostly orange and orange-scarlet. A.plicatilis makes an ornamental tub plant when 4 or 5 feet high. Except during the period in which the species are in active growth, they need very little water, the principal idea being to keep the soil sweet and porous even when in growth. At all times the air of the house should be as dry as possible, full sunshine not hurting them. Propagation is by seeds, suckers and cuttings. The arborescent kinds should be rooted after they have completed growth. Dust over the cut part of the cutting with powdered charcoal and dry in sunshine before putting it in to root. Insert singly in as small pots as they will go into, and plunge in a sand-bed. Very little moisture is necessary while rooting.
}} 

==Cultivation==


===Propagation===


===Pests and diseases===


==Varieties==
There are around 400 species in the genus ''Aloe''. For a full list, see [[List of species of genus Aloe]]. Species include:
* ''[[Aloe vera]]'' - used in healthcare & health products
* ''[[Aloe arborescens]]'' -  used in healthcare
* ''[[Aloe aristata]]'' - Torch Plant, Lace ''Aloe''
* ''[[Aloe dichotoma]]'' - quiver tree or kokerboom
* ''[[Aloe nyeriensis]]''
* ''[[Aloe variegata]]'' - Partridge-breasted ''Aloe'', Tiger ''Aloe''
* ''[[Aloe barbadensis]]'' - Barbados ''Aloe'', Common ''Aloe'', Yellow ''Aloe'', Medicinal ''Aloe''. This is an older name for Aloe vera.
* ''[[Aloe wildii]]''

The [[APG II system]] (2003) placed the genus in the family [[Asphodelaceae]]. In the past it has also been assigned to families [[Aloaceae]] and [[Liliaceae]] or lilly family. Members of the closely allied genera ''[[Gasteria]]'', ''[[Haworthia]]'' and ''[[Kniphofia]]'', which have a similar mode of growth, are also popularly known as aloes. Note that the plant sometimes called American aloe (''[[Agave americana]]'') belongs to [[Agavaceae]], a different family.

{{Inc|
-A. Cameronii. Hemal. Fls. almost cinnabar-red, passing into yellow toward the top. E. Trop. Air.
—A. Campylosiphon, A. Berger. Pale yellow us. E. Trop. Afr.
—A. Chabaudii, Schoenl. Allied to A. stricta. Lvs. bordered with small prickles; outer segms. of fls. pale brick-red with whitish wings at apex. Trop. Afr.
—A. decora, Schoenl. A dwarf species having red fls. tipped with green. S. Afr.
—A. Lastii. Baker. Fls. pale yellow, greenish at top. Zanzibar.—A. laxiflóra, Hort. Very lax arrangement of fls. which are orange-red in lower part and yellow at apex. Cape Colony.
—A. Marlothii, A. Berger. Extremely spiny lvs. and nearly horizontally spreading fl.-spikes. British Bechuanaland.
—A. Orpenae, Schoenl. Lvs. lined with white spots and markings on both surfaces: fls. red, tipped with white. S. Afr.
—A. pallidiflora, A. Berger. A stemless plant: lvs. armed on margins with sharp spines: fls. pale flesh-color. 3. Afr.
—A. pendent. A shrubby species: fls. drooping, dull yellowish red. S. Arabia.
—A. rubrolutea, Schini. Unbranched st. 8 ft. high or more: lvs. armed or margins with brown deltoid and somewhat hooked spines: fls. bright red. Trop. S. W. Afr.
}}

==Gallery==
<gallery perrow=5>
File:Split Aloe.jpg|Aloe gel inside leaf
Image:Aloe arborescens-IMG 7938.JPG|[[Aloe arborescens]]
Image:Babosa1.jpg|''[[Aloe arborescens]]''
Image:Aloe_aculeata-IMG_0283_hunt07.jpg|''Aloe aculeata''
Image:Aloe_aristata-IMG_0379_hunt07.jpg|''Aloe aristata''
Image:Aloe aristata.jpg|''[[Aloe aristata]]''
Image:Aloe_bainesii-IMG_0239_hunt07.jpg|''Aloe bainesii''
Image:Aloe_bainesii-IMG_0261_hunt07.jpg|''Aloe bainesii''
Image:Aloe_bainesii-IMG_0262_hunt07.jpg|''Aloe bainesii''
Image:Aloe_berhana-IMG_0376_hunt07.jpg|''Aloe berhana''
Image:Aloe_brevifolia-var._depressa-IMG_0323_hunt07.jpg|''Aloe brevifolia'' var. depressa
Image:Aloe_brevifolia-var._postgenita-IMG_0313_hunt07.jpg|''Aloe brevifolia'' var. postgenita
Image:Aloe_bussei-IMG_0333_hunt07.jpg|''Aloe bussei''
Image:Aloe_cameronii-IMG_0279_hunt07.jpg|''Aloe cameronii''
Image:Köcherbaum_Köcherbaumwald_01.JPG|''[[Aloe dichotoma]]''
Image:Aloe_framesii-IMG_0341_hunt07.jpg|''Aloe framesii''
Image:Aloe_framesii-IMG_0342_hunt07.jpg|''Aloe framesii''
Image:Aloe_glauca-IMG_0290_hunt07.jpg|''Aloe glauca''
Image:Aloe_hereroensis_Auob_C15.JPG|''[[Aloe hereroensis]]''
Image:Aloe_parvula.JPG|''[[Aloe parvula]]''
Image:Aloe_petricola-IMG_0265_hunt07.jpg|''Aloe petricola''
Image:Aloe_petricola-IMG_0286_hunt07.jpg|''Aloe petricola''
Image:Aloe_plicatilis-IMG_0384_hunt07.jpg|''Aloe plicatilis''
Image:Aloe_plicatilis-IMG_8052_sfbg0308.jpg|''Aloe plicatilis''
Image:Aloe_polyphylla-spiral_aloe-IMG_7632_sfbg0308.jpg|''Aloe polyphylla'' spiral aloe
Image:Aloe_rubroviolacea-IMG_0348_hunt07.jpg|''Aloe rubroviolacea''
Image:Aloe_saponaria-IMG_0343_hunt07.jpg|''Aloe saponaria''
Image:Aloe_saponaria-IMG_0344_hunt07.jpg|''Aloe saponaria''
Image:Aloe_saponaria-IMG_8034_sfbg0308.jpg|''Aloe saponaria''
Image:Aloe_saponaria_1.jpg|''[[Aloe saponaria]]''
Image:Aloe_saponaria_3.jpg|''[[Aloe saponaria]]'' flower
Image:Aloe_sinkatana-IMG_0338_hunt07.jpg|''Aloe sinkatana''
Image:Aloe_striata-coral_aloe-IMG_0300_hunt07.jpg|''Aloe striata'' coral aloe
Image:Aloe_striatula_1.jpg|''[[Aloe striatula]]''
Image:Aloe_succotrina-IMG_7963_sfbg0308.jpg|''Aloe succotrina''
Image:Aloe_swynnertonii-IMG_7958_sfbg0308.jpg|''Aloe swynnertonii''
Image:Aloe-x-commutata-IMG_0359_hunt07.jpg|''Aloe x commutata''
Image:Aloe-x-principis-IMG_0302_hunt07.jpg|''Aloe x principis''
Image:Aloes on N6 Route.jpg|''[[Aloe - unidentified]]''
Image:Babosa1.jpg|''[[Aloe arborescens]]''
Image:Aloe aristata.jpg|''[[Aloe aristata]]''
Image:Köcherbaum_Köcherbaumwald_01.JPG|''[[Aloe dichotoma]]''
Image:Aloe_hereroensis_Auob_C15.JPG|''[[Aloe hereroensis]]''
Image:Aloe_parvula.JPG|''[[Aloe parvula]]''
Image:Aloe peglerae01.jpg|''[[Aloe peglerae]]''
Image:Aloe_saponaria_3.jpg|''[[Aloe maculata]]'' flower
Image:Aloe_sophie_plant_and_flowers.jpg|''[[Aloe sophie]]''
Image:AloeSpeciosa.jpg|''[[Aloe speciosa]]''
Image:Aloe_striatula_1.jpg|''[[Aloe striatula]]''
Image:Aloe_rauhii.jpg|''[[Aloe rauhii]]
File:Aloe vossii - plant (aka).jpg|Aloe vossii
</gallery>

==References==
<references/>
*[[Standard Cyclopedia of Horticulture]], by L. H. Bailey, MacMillan Co., 1963
<!--- xxxxx  *Flora: The Gardener's Bible, by Sean Hogan. Global Book Publishing, 2003. ISBN 0881925381  -->
<!--- xxxxx  *American Horticultural Society: A-Z Encyclopedia of Garden Plants, by Christopher Brickell, Judith D. Zuk. 1996. ISBN 0789419432  -->
<!--- xxxxx  *Sunset National Garden Book. Sunset Books, Inc., 1997. ISBN 0376038608  -->

==External links==
*{{wplink}}

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