Documented Utility and Biocultural Value of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Aloe</Emphasis> L. (Asphodelaceae): A Review |
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Authors: | Olwen M Grace Monique S J Simmonds Gideon F Smith Abraham E van Wyk |
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Institution: | (1) Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, Surrey, TW9 3AB, United Kingdom;(2) Department of Plant Science, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, 0002, South Africa;(3) South African National Biodiversity Institute, Private Bag X001, Pretoria, 0002, South Africa |
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Abstract: | Documented Utility and Biocultural Value of
Aloe
L. (Asphodelaceae): A Review. The genus Aloe L. (Asphodelaceae) comprises 548 accepted species, of which at least one-third are documented as having some utilitarian
value. The group is of conservation concern due to habitat loss and being extensively collected from the wild for horticulture
and natural products. Cultural value is increasingly important in the effective conservation of biodiversity. The present
study evaluated the biocultural value of the known uses of Aloe, excluding the domesticated and commercially cultivated A. vera. Over 1,400 use records representing 173 species were collated from the literature and through personal observation; this
paper presents a synopsis of uses in each of 11 use categories. Medicinal uses of Aloe were described by 74% of the use records, followed by social and environmental uses (both 5%). Species yielding natural products,
notably A. ferox and A. perryi, were most frequently cited in the literature. Consensus ratios indicate that the most valued uses of Aloe are in medicine and pest control against arthropods and other invertebrates. |
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Keywords: | Aloe Asphodelaceae biocultural value conservation Ethnobotany medicine Uses |
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