Flora Medica

vii. 702. A. vera Mill. diet. ed. 8. No. 15. A. perfoliataLinn. sp. pi. 458.Island of Socotra.Stem woody, straight, H foot high and more, naked below, where itis strongly marked with "the scars of leaves. Leaves amplexicaul,ascending, ensiform, green, curved inwards at the point, convex below,rather concave above, marked with numerous small white marginalserratures, the parenchyma abounding in a bright brownish-yellow juice.Raceme cylindrical, unbranched. Flowers scarlet at the base, pale inthe middle, green at the point. Stamens unequal, 3 of them longerthan the flowers. Socotrine aloes, the best of all for medical purposes,are produced by the succulent leaves of this. The drug is imported fromSmyrna and Bombay, in skins, chests and casks, is of a reddish-browncolour, glossy and pellucid, with a smooth conchoidal fracture. Itstaste is very bitter and the odour pleasant and aromatic. Mocha aloesand genuine hepatic aloes, are supposed to be varieties of the samespecies.1 263. A. purpurascens Haivorth in Trans. Linn. Soc. viii. 20,said to be a native of the Cape of Good Hope, and by someBotanists considered a variety of A. socotrina, is stated by TheodoreMartius also to produce Socotrine Aloes.1264. A. spicata Thunb. diss. No. 2./. cap. ed. Schultes 309.Linn, suppl. 205. R. and S. vii. 705. Interior of the Capeof Good Hope.Stem 3-4 feet high, as thick as a man's arm. Leaves thick, fleshy,broad at the base, gradually narrowing to the point, channelled, full2 feet long, distantly toothed, with a few white spots their ; parenchymaalmost colourless. Spike a foot long, very compact, with the flowerscampanulate and horizontal. The 3 petals broader, ovate, obtuse,white with a triple green line, the sepals narrower, less concave.Stamens much longer than the perianth. The flowers are filled with apurplish honey. This is said to be the principal source of Cape Aloes,a sort having a more strong and disagreeable odour than BarbadoesAloes. Horse Aloes are supposed to be produced from the same species,and to owe their difference to being obtained by boiling the leaves thathave been previously used for producing a finer sample.1265. A. arborescens Mill. ;1266. A. Commelyni Willd. ;1267. A. mitriformis Willd. (A. nobilis and supralaevis Haw.)are all said to be collected for the preparation of Cape Aloes.HERRERIA.Perianth rotate, 6-parted. Stamens inserted into the baseof the segments ; anthers round. Ovary 3-cornered ; style erect ;stigma 3-cornered. Capsule 3-quetrous, winged, 3-celled,3-val ved, the valves bearing the dissepiments;the cells 2-4-seeded.Seeds lenticular, membranous at the edge.1268. H/3alsaparilha Martius in R. and S. vii. 363. Brazi^in the province of Minas Geraes.595 Q Q 2