ALOE

Aloe L., Sp. Pl. 1. 319. 1753; Gen. Pl. 5: 150. 1754; Boiss., Fl. Or. 5: 329. 1882; Webb in Tutin et al. Fl. Europ. 5: 19. 1980; Fl. China @ eFloras.org 24: 160; Fl. North Amer. @ eFloras.org 26: 410; Ali, Fl. Pak. @ eFloras.org p. 2.

Perennial herbs, shrubs or trees, usually with dense rosettes of very fleshy leaves. Stem often very reduced. Leaves often rosulate, occasionally distichous, amplexicaul, thick, succulent, glabrous, margin hard, spiny-dentate, apex sharply pointed. Inflorescence usually pedunculate, subterminal 1 or more axillary racemes, occasionally paniculate; racemes ascending to erect. Bracts persistent, scarious. Flowers dense, pedicellate, bisexual, actinomorphic, hypogynous; pedicels not articulate, usually much shorter than perianth. Perianth usually red, orange or yellow, cylindric to 3-sided, sometimes slightly curved or with swollen base, tepals 6, outer 3 free or connate to form a tube, inner 3 free, sometimes adnate to the outer. Stamens 6, inserted at base of perianth tube, equalling the perianth or slightly exserted; filaments subulate; anthers dorsifixed. Ovary 3-locular, many ovules per loculus on axile placentas; style filiform; stigma small. Fruit a loculicidal capsule. Seeds many per locule, 3-angled or flattened, often winged.

587 species

Aloe vera

Aloe vera (L.) Burm. f., Fl. Indica 83. 1768; Boiss., Fl. Or. 5: 329. 1882; Webb in Tutin et al. Fl. Europ. 5: 20. 1980; Fl. China @ eFloras.org 24: 160; Fl. North Amer. @ eFloras.org 26: 411; Ali, Fl. Pak. @ eFloras.org p. 2.

Succulent, perennial herb. Stem short, producing suckers at base to form dense clumps. Leaves subbasal, slightly distichous in young shoots, sessile, erect, pale green, sometimes with pale spots, linear-lanceolate, 15-50 cm x 4-8 cm, glabrous, margin sparsely spiny-dentate, apex 2- or 3-dentate-pointed. Inflorescence 60-100 cm long, erect, pedunculate raceme or panicle, many-flowered; peduncle 30-50 cm long and up to 2 cm thick; bracts whitish, broadly lanceolate, ca. 10 mm x 4 mm, veins 5-7, apex acute, reddish-brown, persistent. Flowers erecto-patent when young, reflexed when mature, bisexual, actinomorphic, hypogynous, trimerous; pedicel 5-7 mm long, articulated at junction with flower. Perianth dull red or orange-red, cylindric, slightly curved, 2.5-3 cm long; tepals 6, in 2 whorls of 3 each; outer 3 connate to form a tube, ca. 1.2 cm long, lobes larger than the tube, linear-oblong or linear-lanceolate; inner 3 free, oblong. Stamens 6, inserted at base of perianth tube, equalling the perianth or slightly exserted; filaments 2.5-2.7 cm long; anthers ca. 3 mm long, oblong, dorsifixed, dehiscence longitudinal. Carpels 3, syncarpous; ovary ca. 5 mm x 2.5 mm, oblong, 3-locular, many ovules per loculus; style filiform, ca.1.8 cm long; stigma small. Fruit a loculicidal capsule, ca.1.5 cm long.

Flowering and Fruiting: February-April
Common Names: Aloe vera, Medicinal aloe, Burn plant; Gheekumari (Hindi); Kuaar Gandal (Punjabi)