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Aloe vera (L.)
Burm. f.
Synonym : Aloe perfoliata var. vera L.
Family
: Xanthorrhoeaceae
Local Names
: Kattarvazha, Aloe, Jaffarabad aloe, Indian aloe
Flowering and
fruiting period:
September-November
Distribution: Mediterranean Canary Islands; naturalized
in Florida, West Indies, Central America and Asia
Habitat: Widely cultivated as medicinal
plants
IUCN status: Data deficient
Endemic:
No
Uses: A gel in the leaves is sometimes used as an
ingredient of commercial jellies, drinks and ice cream. As a food supplement,
the leaf gel is said to facilitate digestion, and to improve blood and
lymphatic circulation, as well as kidney, liver and gall bladder functions.
Aloe vera gel has earned a reputation as a miracle drug. It is effective in
burn treatment, because of its anti-inflammatory and wound-healing
properties. A bitter substance is obtained from the yellow sap at the base
of the leaf. Known as ‘bitter aloes’, it contains anthraquinones
Key Characters: Perennial herbs. Leaves radical, aggregated, to 30 x 2-4 cm, ensiform,
fleshy, spinous on margins. Racemes terminal; peduncles to 1 m long; bracts to
1.5 cm, ovate, scarious. Fowers reddish; pedicels to 1 cm. Perianth tube, to 3
cm, lobes free at apex. Staminal tube 3 cm. Ovary 8 mm, ovoid.
