Kingdom Plantae Clade Monocots Family Asphodelaceae Rank Species | Clade Angiosperms Order Asparagales Subfamily Asphodeloideae | |
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Similar Aloe claviflora, Aloe conifera, Aloe perrieri, Aloe ellenbeckii, Aloe divaricata | ||
Aloe globuligemma is a species of flowering plants in the family Asphodelaceae. It is an evergreen, succulent, perennial plant. The plant forms large, dense clumps. It is harvested from the wild for local medicinal use.
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Taxonomy
Aloe globuligemma is a genus in the family Asphodelaceae, subfamily Asphodeloideae.' The species derived its name from Latin language globulus meaning "little ball", and gemma, meaning "bud" referring to the globular flower buds. Common name is witchdoctor's aloe
Description
First description by Illtyd Buller Pole-Evans published in 1915.
Plant morphology
Aloe globuligemma grows, building short stems up to 50 centimeters length, forming great, dense clumps by sprouting. The creeping stems are up to 50 centimeters long.
About 20 of the lance shaped leaves form a rosette. The leaves are from 45 up to 50 centimeters long and from 8 up to 9 centimeters wide.
The milky white, pale brown topped teeth at the leaves margins are 2 millimeters long in 10 millimeters distance, mostly pointing to the leaves top.
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Distribution
Aloe globuligemma is found in Botswana, Zimbabwe and in south african provinces Limpopo and Mpumalanga in hot dry areas bushlands at elevations from 600 to 1325 meters ., often in large colonies, in bare or sparsely grassed places, often in eroded areas and in open deciduous woodland
Uses
Aloe globuligemma is used in Traditional African medicine E.g.A leaf infusion is taken traditionally to relieve stomach-ache, as a cure for venereal diseases and as an abortifacient, although abortifacient activity of the infusion could not be demonstrated in tests.