General Information

COMMON NAMES: Aloe Vera, True Aloe, Barbados Aloe, Barbados Aloe, Curacao Aloe, Medicinal Aloe, Unguentine Cactus; German Echte Aloë TRADITIONAL NAMES: ‘Āroe / Cactus (RR), ‘Arovera (MG), ‘Āroe (AT MT AK), ‘Āroevera (MK) GLOBAL DISTRIBUTION: NATIVE Mediterranean COOK ISLANDS STATUS: Introduced - Recent, Not naturalised; Land, lowlands, gardens SIGNIFICANCE LIST: Medicine KEY FEATURES: A low shrub with a basal rosette of fleshy, tapering leaves. STEM short or absent, suckering. LEAVES green, coated pale when young, to 60cm, oval at base (8x3cm), tapering; SPINES 1.5-2cm apart, low, ±red tip. FLOWERS one stalk to 1m, 0-3 branches; densely flowered over terminal 30cm; FLOWER yellow-orange, tubular to 3cm, stigma protruding 1cm SIMILAR SPECIES: Octopus Aloe (Aloe arborescens) which is a sprawling shrub with much narrower leaves, and red flowers.

Cook Islands Distribution

View Distribution Map

Southern Group: Present    Makatea: Present
RR	MG	AT	MK	MT	AK	PL	TK	MN
+	P	+		+	+	-		-

Northern Group:
TN	MH	RK	PK	NS	SW
-	-	-	-	-	-

Aloe vera Linnaeus
SYNONYMS: Aloe barbadensis; Aloe perfoliata

TAXONOMY: PLANTAE; ANTHOPHYTA (=Angiospermae); LILIOPSIDA (=Monocotyledones); LILIIDAE; Liliales; ALOEACEAE

SIGNIFICANCE NOTES -
POSITIVE SIGNIFICANCE: Medicine. Comments: An important medicine used on burns, and for "cancer".

GENERAL NOTE: This species is the main international source of the drug aloe. Commonly used in medicine, especially for burns. The leaf-gel has anaethetic, antibacterial and tissue-restorative properties. It can be used directly on sores and burns. It was used by the Egyptians 3000 BC for burns, skin ulcers, and internally for parasites. A section of removed leaf seal itself and can be stored in a cool place for several weeks and maintain its beneficial properties.

Vouchers:
None Recorded.

References:
p.196 Neal - In Gardens of Hawaii
p.53 Royal Hort. Soc. Index of Garden Plants
p.571 Tropica
p.359h Whistler - Ethnobotany of the Cook Islands

Data Update History (information):
zTX, zB02, zM02, zD02

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