in botany, a genus of the monogynia order, belonging to the hexandria clas of plants. Of this genus, botanical writers enumerate 23 species. 1. The mitriformis, or mitre-shaped aloe. The leaves of this closely embrace the stalks; they are are thick, succulent, broad at their base, growing narrower, and ending in a point; they draw together towards the top, where they somewhat resemble a mitre, from whence the species takes its name. The flower-stem rises about three feet high; on the top of which the flowers come out in a sort of globular spike, which afterwards becomes cylindrical. They have long footstalks, which come out horizontally, so that the flowers hang downward. They are tubulous, and cut into six unequal segments to the bottom, three being alternately broader than the others. The tube of the flower is of a fine red colour, and the brim of it a pale green, so that they make a fine appearance when the spikes of flowers are large.
2. The barbadensis, common, or Barbadoes aloe. The leaves of this fort are about four inches broad at their base, where they are near two inches thick, and diminish gradually to a point, having a few indentures on their edges, and when young are spotted with white. The flower-stem rises near three feet high. The flowers stand in a slender loose spike with very short footstalks, hanging downwards. They are tubulous, cut into six parts, and of a bright yellow colour.
3. The arborescens, or sword-alo. This grows to the height of 10 or 12 feet, with a strong naked stem, the leaves growing at the top, which closely embrace the stalk; they are about two inches broad at their base, growing narrower to a point, and are indented on their edges, each being armed with a strong crooked spine. The flowers grow in a pyramidal spike, of a bright red colour; and are in beauty in November and December.
4. The africana, or African aloe. This species resembles the former; but the leaves are broader, and have several spines on the back side towards the extremities, and the flowers grow in a looser spike.
5. The dillicha, by some called the soap-alo, by others Carolina-alo. This seldom rises above two feet high. The leaves are very broad at the base, where they closely embrace the stalk, and gradually decrease to a point. The edges are set with sharp spines, and the under leaves spread open horizontally every way. These are of a dark green colour spotted with white, somewhat resembling the colour of soft soap, from whence the plant got the name of soap-alo. The flowers grow in umbels on the tops of the stalks, are of a beautiful red colour, and appear in August and September.
6. The obcursa, with very broad spotted leaves embracing the stalk, whose edges are set with spines, and flowers growing in an umbel. This very much resembles the former; only the leaves are broader, and of a lighter green. The edges and also the spines are of a copper colour, and the flowers grow in loose spikes. They appear in September.
7. The plicatilis, with sword-shaped smooth leaves, grows to the height of six or seven feet. It has a strong stem, towards the upper part of which are produced two, three, or four heads, composed of long, compressed, pliable leaves, placed two ways, lying over one another, with their edges the same way. The flowers are produced in short loose spikes of a red colour, and appear at different times of the year.
8. The brevioribus, with leaves embracing the stalks, which are prickly on every side. This is an humble plant, seldom rising more than a foot high. The leaves grow near the ground, are broad at the base, where they embrace the stalk, and gradually diminish to a point. Their edges, and also their upper parts, are befit with pretty sharp spines. The flowers grow in loose spikes, the tubulous part being red, and the brim of a light green colour.
9. The variegata, or partridge-breast aloe, is a low plant, seldom rising above eight inches high. The leaves of this are triangular, and curiously veined and spotted, somewhat like the feathers of a partridge's breast. The flowers grow in very loose spikes, and are of a fine red colour tipped with green.
10. The hedge-hog aloe is a very low plant, never rising to have stalks. The leaves are befit on their edges and both surfaces, with soft spines, very closely; from whence its name. The flowers grow on a loose head; and are of a fine red colour below, but of a pale green above.
11. The viscosa, with funnel-shaped flowers, grows near a foot high, with triangular leaves of a dark green colour. The flowers grow thinly upon very slender footstalks, and are of an herbaceous colour, and their upper part turns backward.
12. The spiralis, with oval crenated flowers, grows somewhat like the former; only the flowers grow upon taller stalks, which branch out and grow in very long close spikes.
13. The linguiforme, or tongue-alo, has its leaves about six inches in length, and shaped like a tongue. The flowers grow in slender loose spikes, each hanging downward, of a red colour below, and green at the top.
14. The margaritifera, or large pearl-alo, is a very beautiful plant. It is smaller than most of the aloe kind. The leaves are short, very thick, sharp pointed, and turning down, with a large thick end, appear there triangular. The colour of the leaves is a fine green, stripped in an elegant manner with white, and frequently tipped with red at the point. The flower-stalk, which rises in the midst of the leaves, is round, smooth, of a purple colour, and generally about eight inches high. When the plant has been properly cultivated, the flowers are stripped with green and white; and sometimes they are entirely white. This aloe is singular in not having the bitter resinous juice with which the leaves of most others abound; when a leaf of this species is cut, what runs from it is watery, colourless, and perfectly infipid.
15. The Plate X. vera, or socotrine aloe, hath long, narrow, succulent leaves, which come out without any order, and form large heads. The stalks grow three or four feet high; and have two, three, and sometimes four, of these heads branching out from it. The flowers grow in long spikes, each standing on a pretty long footstalk; they are of a bright red colour tipped with green, and generally appear in the winter season.
16. The glauca, with a short stalk, and flowers growing in a head. This resembles the eighth in some particulars; but the leaves are much broader, and spread wide on every side, whereas those of the eighth are ranged only two ways, and are narrow. The brevioribus alo flowers but seldom, whereas the glauca flowers annually in the spring.
17. The arachnoidea, or cob-web-alo, never rises from the ground, but the leaves spread flat on the surface. The flower-stalk rises about a foot high, is very slender, and hath three or four small herbaceous flowers standing at a distance from each other. These are tubulous, and, at the brim, cut into six parts which turn backward.
18. The herbacca, with oval leaves, is also a small plant growing near the ground. The leaves are almost cylindrical. Aloes, in medicine, the infusitated juice of some of the abovementioned species. The ancients distinguished two sorts of aloes; the one was pure and of a yellowish colour, inclining to red, resembling the colour of a liver, and thence named hepatic; the other was full of impurities, and hence supposed to be only the dross of the better kind. At present, various sorts are met with in the shops; which are distinguished either from the places, from the species of the plants, or from some differences in the juices themselves. These may be all ranged in three classes:
1. Aloe Socotrina, socotrine aloe, brought from the island Socotra in the Indian ocean, wrapped in films; it is obtained from the 15th species abovementioned.—This sort is the purest of the three: it is of a glossy surface, clear, and in some degree pellucid; in the lump, of a yellowish red colour, with a purple cast; when reduced to powder, of a bright golden colour. It is hard and friable in the winter, somewhat pliable in summer, and grows soft betwixt the fingers. Its taste is bitter, accompanied with an aromatic flavour, but insufficient to prevent its being disagreeable: the smell is not very unpleasing, and somewhat resembles that of myrrh.
2. Aloe Hepatica, hepatic, Barbadoes, or common aloe, (the juice of the second species), is not so clear and bright as the foregoing sort; it is also of a darker colour, more compact texture, and for the most part drier. Its smell is much stronger and more disagreeable; the taste intensely bitter and nauseous, with little or nothing of the fine aromatic flavour of the Socotrine.—The best hepatic aloes come from Barbadoes in large gourd shells; an inferior sort of it (which is generally soft and clammy) is brought over in casks.
3. Aloe Caballina, fetid, caballine, or horfe aloe, (the produce of an African aloe,) is easily distinguished from both the foregoing, by its strong rank smell; although, in other respects, it agrees pretty much with the hepatic, and is not unfrequently sold in its stead. Sometimes the caballine aloe is prepared so pure and bright, as not to be distinguishable by the eye even from... Aloes is a stimulating, cathartic bitter: if given in so large a dose as to purge effectually, it often occasions an irritation about the anus, and sometimes a discharge of blood. Small doses of it frequently repeated, not only cleanse the prime vice, but likewise attenuate and dissolve viscid juices in the remoter parts, warm the habit, quicken the circulation, and promote the uterine and hemorrhoidal fluxes. This medicine is particularly serviceable to persons of a phlegmatic temperament and sedentary life, and where the stomach is oppresed and weakened: in dry bilious habits, aloes prove injurious, immoderately heating the blood, and inflaming the bowels.
This juice is likewise, on account of its bitterness, supposed to kill worms, either taken internally, or applied in plasters to the umbilical region. It is also celebrated for restraining external hemorrhages, and cleansing and healing wounds and ulcers.
Socotrine aloes contains more gummy matter than the hepatic; and hence it is likewise found to purge more, and with greater irritation. The first sort therefore is most proper where a stimulus is required, as for promoting or exciting the menstrual flux; whilst the latter is better calculated to act as a common purge.