Aloe

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Plant Characteristics
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Scientific Names

Aloe >


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Read about Aloe in the Standard Cyclopedia of Horticulture 

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 "century plant." The "bitter aloes" of commerce is a resinous juice much used as a laxative. The best quality is called "Socotrine or Zanzibar aloes," 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 "Barbadoes aloes" 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.


The above text is from the Standard Cyclopedia of Horticulture. It may be out of date, but still contains valuable and interesting information which can be incorporated into the remainder of the article. Click on "Collapse" in the header to hide this text.



Aloe
Aloe succotrina
Aloe succotrina
Plant Info
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Division: Magnoliophyta
Class: Liliopsida
Order: Asparagales
Family: Asphodelaceae
Genus: Aloe
L.

Species
See Species


Aloe, also written Aloë, is a genus containing about four hundred species of flowering succulent plants.

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

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. 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.

Most Aloes have a rosette of large, thick, fleshy leaves. The leaves are often lance-shaped with a sharp apex and a spiny margin. Aloe flowers are tubular, frequently yellow, orange or red and are borne on densely clustered, simple or branched leafless stems.

Many species of Aloe are seemingly stemless, with the rosette growing directly at ground level; other varieties may have a branched or un-branched stem from which the fleshy leaves spring. They vary in colour from grey to bright green and are sometimes striped or mottled.

Uses

Template:Not verified Aloe species are frequently cultivated as ornamental plants both in gardens and in pots. Many Aloe species are highly decorative and are valued by collectors of succulents. Some species, in particular Aloe vera are purported to have medicinal properties.

Other use of Aloes include their role in alternative medicines (see Herbalism) and in home first aid. Both the translucent inner pulp as well as the resinous yellow exudate from wounding the Aloe plant is used externally to relieve skin discomforts and internally as a laxative. To date, some research has shown that Aloe vera produces positive medicinal benefits for healing damaged skin. Conversely, other research suggests Aloe vera can negatively effect healing (Vogler and Ernst, 1999).

Some Aloe species have also been used for human consumption. For example, drinks made from or containing chunks of aloe pulp are popular in Asia as commercial beverages and as a tea additive; this is notably true in Korea.

External uses

Various extracts of Aloe vera are frequently used in herbal medicine and by cosmetic companies. For more information see: Aloe vera.

Internal uses

Aloe vossii

Aloe contains a number of medicinal substances used as a purgative. The medicinal substance is produced from various species of aloe, such as A. vera, A. vulgaris, A. socotrina, A. chinensis, and A. perryi. Several kinds of aloes are commercially available: Barbadoes, Socotrine, Hepatic, Indian, and Cape aloes. Barbadoes and Socotrine are the varieties most commonly used for curative purposes Template:Fact.

Aloes is the expressed juice of the leaves of the plant. When the leaves are cut, the juice that flows out is collected and evaporated. After the juice has been removed, the leaves are sometimes boiled to yield an inferior kind of aloes. The juice of the leaves of certain species, e.g. Aloe venenosa, is poisonous.

There have been very few properly conducted studies about possible benefits of aloe gel taken internally. One study found improved wound healing in mice. Another found a positive effect of lowering risk factors in patients with heart disease. Some research has shown decreasing fasting blood sugar in diabetic animals given aloe [1]. None of these studies can be considered to be definitive, and there are many false advertising claims for aloe.

Aloe has been marketed as a remedy for coughs, wounds, ulcers, gastritis, diabetes, cancer, headaches, arthritis, immune-system deficiencies, and many other conditions when taken internally. However, these uses are unsubstantiated; the only substantiated internal use is as a laxative. Furthermore, there is evidence of potential adverse side effects (for example, acute hepatitis[1]). Although some studies suggest that certain components of aloe such as aloe-emodin have genotoxic activity, human clinical trials and rodent carcinogenicity studies do not substantiate a genotoxic risk to humans when aloe products are consumed as directedBrusick D, Mengs U (1997). "Assessment of the genotoxic risk from laxative senna products". Environ Mol Mutagen 29 (1): 1-9. PMID 9020301. . Consult your doctor when contemplating taking Aloe internally. Avoid use during pregnancy because the anthraquinone glycosides are strongly purgative. High doses of the leaves can cause vomiting.

On 9 May 2002, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration issued a final rule banning the use of aloe and cascara sagrada as laxative ingredients in over-the-counter drug products[2].

In homeopathic medicine aloe is used for hemorrhoids[2].

References

  1. ↑ Acute hepatitis induced by an Aloe vera preparation: a case report
  2. ↑ Morrsion, MD, Roger (1993). Desktop guide to keynotes and comfirmatory symptoms. Grass Valley, CA: Hahnemann Clinic Publishing. ISBN 0-9635368-0-X. 

Heraldry

The aloe plant (A. rubrolutea) occurs as a charge in heraldry, such as in the Civic Heraldry of Namibia [3]

Species

There are around 400 species in the genus Aloe. For a full list, see List of species of genus Aloe. Species include:

References

  • Schmidt JM, Greenspoon JS (1991) Aloe vera dermal wound gel is associated with a delay in wound healing. Obstet Gynecol 1: 115-117.
  • Vogler BK, Ernst E (1999) Aloe vera: a systematic review of its clinical effectiveness British Journal of General Practice 49: 823-828.
  • International Aloe Science Council: http://www.iasc.org/aloe.html
  • University of Maryland Medical Center: http://www.umm.edu/altmed/ConsHerbs/Aloech.html
  • Craig, Winston. The All-purpose Gel. Vibrant Life July 2001.
  • Farrar, Maureen Meyers. Skin Deep. Better Nutrition July 2005.
  • British Journal of General Practice, October 1999

Links

List of Southern African indigenous trees

External links

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Images

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