Candelabra Aloe

Overview

The plant is native to southern Africa and grows in Malawi, Botswana, Zimbabwe, and Mozambique as well as South Africa. The plant is sometimes gathered from the wild for medicines and as a local source of nectar. It is grown commercially in some areas as a medicinal plant and is frequently used for hedges and living fences. It is also commonly grown as a garden ornamental. Worldwide attention was drawn to the possible value of the gel prepared from this and other Aloe species after the second World War, when skin burns of victims of the nuclear bombs on Japan were successfully treated with it. The gel of this species contains much higher concentrations of the primary compounds present in other aloes, and this higher concentration is responsible for the faster and more effective action of the gel against skin conditions.

Vernacular Names

No found data on this. Need further research.

Agroecology

Found at elevations from sea level up to 2,800 metres in montane grassland amongst rocks and in open evergreen forest, in the eastern border mountains and outliers with high local rainfall and drizzle in the dry season; also in coastal forest. It grows best in areas where annual daytime temperatures are within the range 18 - 26 °C, but can tolerate 9 - 38 °C. It prefers a mean annual rainfall in the range 400 - 1,500 mm, but tolerates 300 - 1,700 mm. Succeeds in full sun or light shade, requiring a well-drained, light to medium soil. Prefers a pH in the range 5 - 6.5, tolerating 4.2 - 7.

Morphology

• Stems - solitary, branching at or near the base with persistent dead leaves.
• Leaves - spreading, becoming curved, stipules absent, petiole absent, blade lanceolate, measuring 60 × 7 cm, long pointed apex, well-defined margins, deltoid, pointed forward, yellow teeth, 4 mm long, 1-1 spacing, blades greyish green, reddish tinge in dry conditions.
• Flowers - inflorescences in terminal bunches, 20-40 cm long, 1-4 per rosette, erect, cylindrical-acuminate, very densely flowered, peduncle up to 60 cm long, simple or sparse with 1 short branch; bracts ovoid, 2-5 mm long. Flowers bisexual, regular, 3-merous; stalk 1-1.5 cm long; tubular perianth, 3.5-4 cm long, 7 mm in diameter, 6 lobes, free to base, bright orange to dark red, stamens 6, removed; superior ovary, 3 celled, filiform style, stigma head-shaped, exserted.
• Fruits - capsule oblong-ovate up to 18 × 7 mm, yellowish brown, loculicidally split, many-seeded.
• Seeds - 3.5 mm long, with very narrow wings. 

Cultivation

• Propagated by seeds - sow in a sandy, well-drained potting soil in a warm, shady position in standard seed trays. Germination takes about three weeks. Cover with a thin layer of sand (1 - 2mm), keep moist and the seedlings can be planted out in individual bags or containers as soon as they are large enough to handle.
• By stem cuttings - a branch or stem can be cut off, allowed to dry for a day or so until the wound has sealed, and then planted in well-drained soil or sand. It need not be rooted in any particular place and then transplanted, but can be placed directly into its permanent place in the garden. It is important to remember not to water the cutting too heavily; overwatering may cause it to rot.

Chemical Constituents

Anthrone 10-C-glucosides (anthraquinone derivatives) such as aloin and hydroxyaloin. Aloin is a mixture of the stereoisomers of aloin A (barbaloin) and aloin B (isobarbaloin). The exudate contains pyrone-derived aloenin and free and glycosylated 2-acetonyl-7-hydroxy-5-methylchromone (eg aloesone, furoaloesone, aloeresin A, aloeresin B (aloesin) and aloeresin C).

Traditional Medicinal Uses

• A leaf decoction is given to women to ease childbirth.
• The leaves are eaten as a vegetable as a treatment for constipation.
• The split or crushed fresh leaves are widely used to treat burns and wounds.
• In Ecuador, where the plant is cultivated, it is considered the first treatment for any type of scratch, bite, or burn, and is used in hospitals as a primary treatment for burns up to the third degree.