Fynbos aloe

Names and Synonyms

Common Names

• Aloe vera
• Aloe
• Barbados Aloes
• Common Aloes
• Barbados aloe
• Curaçao aloe
• West Indian aloe
• aloe vera
• true aloe

Scientific Names

Accepted name

Synonyms

• Aloe perfoliata var. purpurascens
• Aloe perfoliata var. succotrina
• Aloe purpurascens
• Aloe succotrina var. purpurascens
• Aloe succotrina var. saxigena
• Aloe sinuata

Regional and Traditional Names

Sources: Wikidata, Catalogue of Life

Taxonomical Classification

This plant belongs to the kingdom Plantae and is classified under the phylum Streptophyta within the class Equisetopsida. As a member of the subclass Magnoliidae and the order Asparagales, it falls under the family Asphodelaceae. Ultimately, its taxonomic identity is defined by its placement within the genus Aloe.

Sources: The World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP)

Distribution

This plant exhibits a specific geographical distribution across several distinct regions. In Southwestern Europe, it can be found growing within the borders of France. It also maintains a presence in Spain, which is part of the same European region. Moving to a different continent, the species is located in Southern Africa. Specifically, it thrives within the Cape Provinces of that area.

Sources: The World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP)

Botanical Identification

Ecology

The ecology of Aloe succotrina is characterized by its ability to thrive in open habitats, where it occupies a broad altitudinal spectrum. This plant is found across a significant elevational range, with its distribution extending from as low as 0 m AMSL to a maximum height of 2600 m AMSL. While its presence is documented at various levels, including specific localized ranges between 330 m and 900 m AMSL, its mean elevational range is situated at approximately 1150 m AMSL. To survive within these diverse environments, the species employs active biological defense mechanisms, allowing it to persist in the exposed conditions of its typical open-ground habitat.

Defense :

yes

Elevational range max:

900 m AMSL

Elevational range max:

2600 m AMSL

Elevational range mean:

1150 m AMSL

Elevational range min:

0 m AMSL

Elevational range min:

330 m AMSL

Habitat :

open

Life history

The life history of Aloe succotrina is characterized by its status as a perennial plant, ensuring long-term survival and stability within its ecosystem. It exhibits a complex life form classification, manifesting as both a chamaephyte and a hemicryptophyte, which reflects its ability to maintain its growing points near or just below the soil surface to endure environmental stressors. This resilience is further supported by its evergreen deciduousness, meaning the plant retains its fleshy, succulent foliage throughout the year without shedding its leaves seasonally.

Deciduousness :

evergreen

Life form :

chamaephyte

Life form :

hemicryptophyte

Lifecycle :

perennial

Morphology

The morphology of Aloe succotrina is characterized by a diverse growth habit that can range from a herbaceous forb to a shrubby form. As a terrestrial plant, it is neither aquatic nor semiaquatic, functioning as an independent organism without parasitic or epiphytic requirements. The plant is self-supporting rather than a climber, and its structural composition varies between non-woody and woody textures depending on the specific specimen's development. In terms of stature, the plant exhibits significant height variability: while some instances are smaller, reaching a minimum height of 0.5 m, others can grow as tall as 1 m or 2 m, with a mean plant height typically observed around 0.8 m.

Aquatic :

terrestrial

Climber :

self-supporting

Epiphyte :

terrestrial

Growth form :

shrub

Growth form :

herb

Growth form :

forb

Parasite :

independent

Plant height max:

2 m

Plant height mean:

0.8 m

Plant height min:

1 m

Plant height min:

0.5 m

Woodiness :

woody

Woodiness :

non-woody

Physiology

The physiology of Aloe succotrina is characterized by specialized adaptations for water conservation and efficient resource management in arid environments. The plant utilizes a CAM (Crassulacean Acid Metabolism) photosynthetic pathway, which allows it to fix carbon dioxide at night to minimize transpirational water loss during the heat of the day. This metabolic efficiency is supported by a high degree of succulence, enabling the plant to store significant quantities of water within its specialized tissues. Morphologically, the plant features a rosette leaf arrangement, with leaves that typically range from a minimum length of 15 cm to a mean length of 25 cm, though they can reach a maximum length of 60 cm. These leaves possess a width varying between a minimum of 4 cm and a maximum of 7 cm. Furthermore, the plant does not function as a nitrogen fixer, relying instead on the availability of nutrients within its immediate substrate.

Leaf arrangement :

rosette

Leaf length max:

60 cm

Leaf length mean:

25 cm

Leaf length min:

15 cm

Leaf width max:

7 cm

Leaf width min:

4 cm

Nitrogen fixer :

no

Photosynthetic pathway :

CAM

Succulence :

yes

Reproduction

The reproduction of Aloe succotrina is characterized by a flowering period that is highly variable, potentially spanning the entire year from January through December. During this time, the plant produces distinctive yellow flowers that typically measure between 2.5 cm and 3 cm in length. These flowers are arranged in an inflorescence that reaches a minimum length of 0.5 m and a maximum of 0.8 m. Regarding the movement of its offspring, the species exhibits an unspecialized dispersal syndrome, supplemented by anthropochorous dispersal, indicating that its seeds or propagules may be spread through various natural means as well as human activity.

Dispersal syndrome :

unspecialized

Dispersal syndrome :

anthropochorous

Flower colour :

yellow

Flower length max:

3 cm

Flower length min:

2.5 cm

Flowering time :

Jan

Flowering time :

Dec

Inflorescence length max:

0.8 m

Inflorescence length min:

0.5 m

Sources: Global Inventory of Floras and Traits (GIFT)

Plant Parts

Aloe succotrina has 3 reported plant parts identified across 49 scientific publications and several other databases that are studied for medicinal purposes. The most consistently reported plant part include leaf, root, flower.

Leaf

1. Natural product research
2. Food chemistry
3. Zhong yao cai = Zhongyaocai = Journal of Chinese medicinal materials
4. Plants (Basel, Switzerland)
5. Avicenna journal of phytomedicine

Root

1. PloS one
2. BMC genomics
3. Environmental and experimental botany
4. Frontiers in plant science
5. Veterinary medicine and science

Flower

1. Journal of ethnopharmacology
2. Molecules (Basel, Switzerland)

Chemicals

Aloe succotrina has 312 reported phytochemicals identified across 49 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported chemicals include aloin, Aloe emodin, Flavonoids, Anthraquinones, Acemannan.

aloin

1. Dr. Duke
2. Scientific reports
3. Journal of AOAC International
4. Polish journal of pharmacology and pharmacy
5. Langmuir : the ACS journal of surfaces and colloids

Aloe emodin

1. Dr. Duke
2. RSC medicinal chemistry
3. Free radical research
4. Scientific reports
5. PloS one

Flavonoids

1. Scientific reports
2. Frontiers in nutrition
3. Open life sciences
4. Progress in drug research. Fortschritte der Arzneimittelforschung. Progres des recherches pharmaceutiques
5. Frontiers in veterinary science

Anthraquinones

1. Dr. Duke
2. Scientific reports
3. Revista brasileira de farmacognosia : orgao oficial da Sociedade Brasileira de Farmacognosia
4. Frontiers in nutrition
5. Phytotherapy research : PTR

Acemannan

1. Dr. Duke
2. Journal of agricultural and food chemistry
3. Scientific reports
4. Natural product communications
5. Molecules (Basel, Switzerland)

Saponins

1. Dr. Duke
2. Scientific reports
3. Open life sciences
4. Frontiers in veterinary science
5. Indian journal of pharmaceutical sciences

Aloin A

1. Dr. Duke
2. Molecules (Basel, Switzerland)
3. Naunyn-Schmiedeberg's archives of pharmacology
4. Journal of the science of food and agriculture
5. Journal of chromatography. A

ANTHRAQUINONE

1. Journal of the American Podiatric Medical Association
2. BMC genomics
3. Shi yan sheng wu xue bao
4. Plants (Basel, Switzerland)
5. Frontiers in microbiology

Polysaccharide

1. Dr. Duke
2. Current drug delivery
3. Antibiotics (Basel, Switzerland)
4. Planta medica
5. Archives of pharmacal research

Tannins

1. Dr. Duke
2. Frontiers in veterinary science
3. Indian journal of pharmaceutical sciences
4. Food science & nutrition
5. Journal of ethnopharmacology

Activities

Aloe succotrina has 572 reported activities identified across 49 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported activities include Antioxidant, Antimicrobial, Antibacterial, Anticancer, Antidiabetic.

Antioxidant

1. Dr. Duke
2. Anti-cancer agents in medicinal chemistry
3. Current drug targets
4. BMC complementary and alternative medicine
5. BMC chemistry

Antimicrobial

1. BMC complementary and alternative medicine
2. Journal of oral science
3. Chemotherapy research and practice
4. Dose-response : a publication of International Hormesis Society
5. Current pharmaceutical design

Antibacterial

1. Dr. Duke
2. Current drug targets
3. Frontiers in nutrition
4. Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology
5. Iranian journal of medical sciences

Anticancer

1. Dr. Duke
2. RSC medicinal chemistry
3. Chemotherapy research and practice
4. Phytomedicine : international journal of phytotherapy and phytopharmacology
5. Journal of ethnopharmacology

Antidiabetic

1. Dr. Duke
2. Journal of oral science
3. Chemotherapy research and practice
4. Phytomedicine : international journal of phytotherapy and phytopharmacology
5. Phytotherapy research : PTR

Antiinflammatory

1. Dr. Duke
2. Phytotherapy research : PTR
3. Journal of ethnopharmacology
4. Indian journal of experimental biology
5. Current pharmaceutical biotechnology

Antiviral

1. Dr. Duke
2. Natural product communications
3. Phytomedicine : international journal of phytotherapy and phytopharmacology
4. Archiv der Pharmazie
5. Foods (Basel, Switzerland)

Hepatoprotective

1. Dr. Duke
2. Phytotherapy research : PTR
3. Food and chemical toxicology : an international journal published for the British Industrial Biological Research Association
4. Phytomedicine : international journal of phytotherapy and phytopharmacology
5. Critical reviews in food science and nutrition

Antifungal

1. Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology
2. Iranian journal of medical sciences
3. Natural product communications
4. Foods (Basel, Switzerland)
5. Journal of clinical and diagnostic research : JCDR

Analgesic

1. Dr. Duke
2. Journal of Indian Society of Periodontology
3. Phytotherapy research : PTR
4. Journal of burn care & research : official publication of the American Burn Association

Preparations