Aloe parvibracteata

Schonland

XanthorrhoeaceaeLeavesPotential hazards — see below

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What to Eat

Edible parts: Leaves

The fleshy leaf layer is soaked in running water to remove bitterness and then eaten as a famine food.

Known Hazards

The sap of Aloe species contains anthraquinones. These compounds have several beneficial medicinal actions, particularly as a laxative, and many species of Aloe are thus employed in traditional medicine. Whilst safe in small doses and for short periods of time, anthraquinones do have potential problems if used in excess. These include congestion and irritation of the pelvic organs. Long term use of anthraquinone laxatives may also play a role in development of colorectal cancer as they have genotoxic potential, and tumorigenic potential.

Where to Find It

Brisbane Botanical Garden. It grows in seasonally waterlogged soils. It grows below 200 m above sea level. It can grow in arid places.

Africa, Australia, East Africa, Eswatini, Mozambique, South Africa, Southern Africa, Swaziland,

Countries: Angola, Australia, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Benin, Botswana, Congo (DRC), Central African Republic, Congo (Republic), Cote d'Ivoire, Cameroon, Cape Verde, Djibouti, Algeria, Egypt, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Gabon, Ghana, Gambia, Guinea, Equatorial Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Kenya, Comoros, Liberia, Lesotho, Libya, Morocco, Madagascar, Mali, Mauritania, Mauritius, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, Niger, Nigeria, Rwanda, Seychelles, Sudan, Sierra Leone, Senegal, Somalia, South Sudan, Sao Tome & Principe, Eswatini, Chad, Togo, Tunisia, Tanzania, Uganda, South Africa, Zambia, Zimbabwe

How to Identify

A herb. It keeps growing from year to year. It does not have a stem. It develops suckers to form clumps.

How to Grow

Aloe species follow the Crassulacean acid metabolism (CAM). CAM plants can fix carbon dioxide at night and photosynthesize with closed stomata during the day, thus minimizing water loss. This, plus their succulent leaves and stems, and the presence of a thick cuticle, makes them well adapted to dry conditions.

Propagation: Seed - we have no specific information on this species - in general Aloes are sown in a sandy, well-drained potting soil in a warm, shady position in standard seed trays. Germination takes about three weeks. Cover the seed with a thin layer of sand (1 - 2mm), keep moist. The seedlings can be planted out in individual bags or containers as soon as they are large enough to handle.

Medicinal Uses

The distinctive constituents in Aloe leaves are phenolic compounds, including chromone, anthraquinone or anthrone derivatives. Some of the compounds are found in many species, whereas others occur in only a few.

Other Uses

A yellow dye is obtained from the roots.

Other Information

It is a famine food.

Notes

Also put in the family Aloaceae. Also put in the family Asphodelaceae.

Names & Synonyms

Emahala, Manga

Aloe burgersfortensis ReynoldsAloe parvibracteata Schonland var. zuluensis (Reynolds) ReynoldsAloe decurvidens Groenew.Aloe lusitanica ReynoldsAloe pongolensis ReynoldsAloe pongolensis Reynolds var. zuluensis ReynoldsAloe keithii Reynolds

References (6)

Fox, F. W. & Young, M. E. N., 1982, Food from the Veld. Delta Books. p 256
Long, C., 2005, Swaziland's Flora - siSwati names and Uses http://www.sntc.org.sz/flora/
Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew (1999). Survey of Economic Plants for Arid and Semi-Arid Lands (SEPASAL) database. Published on the Internet; http://www.rbgkew.org.uk/ceb/sepasal/internet [Accessed 24th March 2011]
Ruiters-Welcome, A. K., 2019, Food plants of southern Africa. Ph.D. thesis. Univ. of Johannesburg p 31
Welcome, A. K. & Van Wyk, B.-E., 2019, An inventory and analysis of the food plants of southern Africa. South African Journal of Botany 122 (2019) 136–179
World Checklist of Useful Plant Species 2020. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew