Aloe vera (L.) Burm.f. (1768:83)
Taxonomy & Nomenclature
Synonym/s: Aloe perfoliata var. vera L. in Sp. Pl. 1: 320 (1753); Aloe barbadensis Mill. in Gard. Dict., ed. 8.: n.° 2 (1768); Aloe perfoliata var. barbadensis (Mill.) Aiton in Hortus Kew. 1: 466 (1789); Aloe maculata Forssk. in Fl. Aegypt.-Arab.: 73 (1775), nom. illeg.; Aloe variegata Forssk. in Fl. Aegypt.-Arab.: 74 (1775), nom. illeg.; Aloe vulgaris Lam. in Encycl. 1: 86 (1783); Aloe elongata Murray in Commentat. Soc. Regiae Sci. Gott. 9: 191 (1789); Aloe rubescens DC. in Pl. Hist. Succ.: 15 (1799); Aloe flava Pers. in Syn. Pl. 1: 378 (1805); Aloe barbadensis var. chinensis Haw. in Suppl. Pl. Succ.: 45 (1819); Aloe chinensis Loudon in Encycl. Pl.: 264, 265 (1829); Aloe indica Royle in Ill. Bot. Himal. Mts.: 390 (1839); Aloe vera var. chinensis (Loudon) Baker in J. Linn. Soc., Bot. 18: 230 (1880); Aloe littoralis J.Koenig ex Baker in J. Linn. Soc., Bot. 18: 176 (1880), not validly publ.; Aloe vera var. lanzae Baker in J. Linn. Soc., Bot. 18: 230 (1880); Aloe vera var. littoralis J.Koenig ex Baker in J. Linn. Soc., Bot. 18: 176 (1880); Aloe lanzae Tod. in Hort. Bot. Panorm. 2: 39 (1889)
Conservation Status
Possibly Extinct in the Wild or Extinct in the Wild
Distribution & Habitat
likely Arabian Peninsula (see Grace et al., 2025)
Biology & Ecology
Hypodigm
Media
References
Carter, S., Lavranos, J. J., Newton, L. E. and Walker, C. C. (2011). Aloes. The definitive guide. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew / British Cactus and Succulent Society.
Grace, O. M., Buerki, S., Symonds, M. R. E., Forest, F., van Wyk, A. E., Smith, G. F., Klopper, R. R., Bjorå, C. S., Neale, S., Demissew, S., Simmonds, M. S. J. and Rønsted, N. (2015). Evolutionary history and leaf succulence as explanations for medicinal use in aloes and the global popularity of Aloe vera. BMC Evolutionary Biology 15: 29 (12 pp.). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12862-015-0291-7
POWO. (2025). Plants of the World Online (online resource). Facilitated by the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, United Kingdom. Available at: https://powo.science.kew.org/ [Accessed 25 July 2025]
Walker, Colin C. (2015). The origin and predominance of Aloe vera. CactusWorld 33(4): 276-277.