Aloe buettneri

Names and Synonyms

Scientific Names

Accepted name

Distribution

This plant is primarily distributed across several nations within the West Tropical Africa region. Specifically, its presence has been documented in the country of Benin. It can also be found growing within the borders of Burkina Faso. Furthermore, the species extends its reach into Ghana and Guinea-Bissau. Finally, the geographical range of this medicinal plant includes the nation of Guinea.

Sources: The World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP)

Botanical Identification

Ecology

The ecology of Aloe buettneri is defined by its specific niche within montane environments, where it occupies a distinct altitudinal belt. This species thrives within a precise elevational range, typically found at altitudes starting from 850 m AMSL and extending up to a maximum of 1050 m AMSL. This relatively narrow vertical distribution suggests that the plant is highly adapted to the specific temperature gradients, moisture levels, and atmospheric pressures characteristic of these mid-elevation zones. Its presence is closely tied to these topographical parameters, which dictate the environmental conditions necessary for its survival and reproductive success within its natural habitat.

Elevational range max:

1050 m AMSL

Elevational range min:

850 m AMSL

Life history

The life history of Aloe buettneri is characterized by its status as a perennial organism, allowing it to persist through multiple growing seasons. As a cryptophyte, its regenerative organs are protected beneath the soil surface, a strategy that contributes to its classification as a geophyte. This life form enables the plant to survive unfavorable environmental conditions by retreating to underground storage structures. Throughout its existence, the plant maintains an evergreen habit, ensuring that its foliage remains functional and green year-round rather than undergoing seasonal shedding.

Deciduousness :

evergreen

Life form :

geophyte

Life form :

cryptophyte

Lifecycle :

perennial

Morphology

The morphology of Aloe buettneri is characterized by its growth form as a non-woody herb, manifesting as both a general herb and a specific forb. This terrestrial species is self-supporting rather than a climber and functions as an independent organism, neither acting as a parasite nor an epiphyte. In terms of physical dimensions, the plant typically reaches a mean height of 1 meter, though its size varies within a range between a minimum of 0.3 meters and a maximum of 0.85 meters.

Aquatic :

terrestrial

Climber :

self-supporting

Epiphyte :

terrestrial

Growth form :

herb

Parasite :

independent

Plant height max:

0.85 m

Plant height mean:

1 m

Plant height min:

0.3 m

Woodiness :

non-woody

Physiology

The physiology of Aloe buettneri is characterized by a specialized metabolic framework designed for survival in arid or semi-arid environments, primarily utilizing Crassulacean Acid Metabolism (CAM) to optimize water-use efficiency. This photosynthetic pathway allows the plant to fix carbon dioxide at night, storing it as malic acid to minimize transpirational water loss during the heat of the day. The plant's anatomical structure features succulent, water-storing parenchyma cells within its leaves, which serve as internal reservoirs to maintain turgor pressure during prolonged droughts. Regarding its nutrient acquisition strategies, Aloe buettneri does not possess the symbiotic relationships with diazotrophic bacteria required for atmospheric nitrogen conversion; therefore, it is not a nitrogen fixer (trait_1: nitrogen fixer, trait_2: nitrogen_fix_1, trait_value: no). Instead, it relies on the uptake of mineralized nitrogen from the soil through its root system to support its metabolic processes and structural growth.

Nitrogen fixer :

no

Reproduction

The reproduction of Aloe buettneri is characterized by the production of specialized seeds that exhibit highly consistent physical properties. Based on botanical data, the seed mass of this species is remarkably uniform, with a mean mass recorded at 0.00694 g. This consistency is reflected in the minimum and maximum recorded values, which both align precisely at 0.00694 g, indicating a lack of significant variance in the weight of the individual seeds produced during the reproductive cycle. This stability in seed mass suggests a highly regulated developmental process within the plant's reproductive structures.

Seed mass mean:

0.00694 g

Sources: Global Inventory of Floras and Traits (GIFT)

Plant Parts

Aloe buettneri has 1 reported plant parts identified across 1 scientific publications and several other databases that are studied for medicinal purposes. The most consistently reported plant part include leaf.

Leaf

1. Journal of ethnopharmacology

Conditions

Aloe buettneri has 6 reported investigations on conditions identified across 1 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported conditions include dysmenorrhea, fertility, gastric ulcers, infertility, menstrual cycle.

Dysmenorrhea

1. Journal of ethnopharmacology

Fertility

1. African journal of traditional, complementary, and alternative medicines : AJTCAM

Gastric ulcers

1. Iranian journal of pharmaceutical research : IJPR

Infertility

1. Journal of ethnopharmacology

Menstrual cycle

1. Journal of ethnopharmacology

Ulcers

1. Iranian journal of pharmaceutical research : IJPR

Preparations

Aloe buettneri has 4 reported preparations identified across 1 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported preparations include aqueous extract of the leaf mixture (ADHJ), aqueous extracts from the leaves, hydroalcoholic extract, leaf mixture extract.

Aqueous extract of the leaf mixture (adhj)

1. African journal of traditional, complementary, and alternative medicines : AJTCAM

Aqueous extracts from the leaves

1. Journal of ethnopharmacology

Hydroalcoholic extract

1. Iranian journal of pharmaceutical research : IJPR

Leaf mixture extract

1. Journal of ethnopharmacology