1026.000 Aloe L. - Aloe

Succulent perennials, sometimes large and shrub-like, but not dichotomously branched trees or large shrubs. Leaves borne in rosettes or distichous, usually stiff, succulent, with hard-toothed or spiny margins, spotted or unspotted; dried leaves persistent or not. Inflorescence variously branched or simple. Flowers usually brightly coloured, actinomorphic, only rarely ± 2-lipped, variously shaped, with or without a pronounced constriction above a bulbous basal swelling. A well known genus of mainly winter-flowering species.

Derivation of name: Aloe is the Greek name for Aloe vera, one of the bitter aloes of medicine.

Comment: The aloes are popular garden ornaments, interesting in themselves, easy to grow and propagate, with the flowers attracting sunbirds. The shrubby species Aloe arborescens and A. cameronii make impenetrable hedges. Although the leaves are unpalatable, antelopes browse the inflorescences.
Hybridization is common wherever more than one species are cultivated in gardens, but also occurs naturally.
Common names: cilambwe (Lunda), itembusya (Bemba), kanembe (Tonga), kanembe (Ila), cilambwe (Soli), hopani (Lozi).

Worldwide: c.365 species, tropics and especially southern Africa, Madagascar, Arabia and Canary Isles.

Zambia: 3 cultivated taxa.