Common Name:

General Information

Aloe nuttii is a succulent, evergreen, perennial plant with a short thick stem that is up to 20cm long and 3cm thick. The stem is often shortly branched with up to 3 whorls of leaves at the base. The plant can form a solitary stem or can sucker to produce a cluster of 2 - 12 stems[]. The erect, grass-like leaves are 40 - 50cm long[].
The plant is commonly harvested from the wild for local use as a food and medicine. It is sometimes grown as an ornamental in the tropics and subtropics, and also as a pot plant[]. Because of its small size and narrow leaves, the plant is not suitable for large scale exploitation for its medicinal uses[].

Known Hazards

The sap of Aloe species contains anthraquinones. These compounds have several beneficial medicinal actions, particularly as a laxative, and many species of Aloe are thus employed in traditional medicine. Whilst safe in small doses and for short periods of time, anthraquinones do have potential problems if used in excess. These include congestion and irritation of the pelvic organs[]. Long term use of anthraquinone laxatives may also play a role in development of colorectal cancer as they have genotoxic potential, and tumorigenic potential[].

Botanical References

Range

East tropical Africa - DR Congo, Tanzania, Angola, Zambia, Malawi, Mozambique.

Habitat

Mountain grasslands, often on rocky slopes, at elevations from 1,600 - 2,700 metres[]. Montane and dambo grasslands, and in high rainfall Brachystegia woodlands[].

Properties

Edibility Rating
Medicinal Rating
Habit	Evergreen Shrub
Height	0.50 m
Cultivation Status	Ornamental, Wild

Cultivation Details

Aloe species follow the Crassulacean acid metabolism (CAM). CAM plants can fix carbon dioxide at night and photosynthesize with closed stomata during the day, thus minimizing water loss. This, plus their succulent leaves and stems, and the presence of a thick cuticle, makes them well adapted to dry conditions[].

Edible Uses

Flowers - cooked and eaten as a vegetable[, ]. The mature flowers are washed and cooked alone or with other vegetables such as peas or pumpkin leaves. Then either cooking oil, coconut milk or groundnut paste is added and the dish eaten with ugali or rice[].

Medicinal

A decoction of the leaves is drunk in the treatment diarrhoea[, ]. The leaves are also used to treat heart pains and spleen problems[].
The juice of leaves is rubbed on the skin to treat ringworm[, ].

The roots are boiled, honey added and the decoction drunk as a treatment for kidney problems and as an aphrodisiac[, ].

The distinctive constituents in Aloe leaves are phenolic compounds, including chromone, anthraquinone or anthrone derivatives. Some of the compounds are found in many species, whereas others occur in only a few[].

Other Uses

None known

Propagation

Seed - we have no specific information on this species - in general Aloes are sown in a sandy, well-drained potting soil in a warm, shady position in standard seed trays. Germination takes about three weeks. Cover the seed with a thin layer of sand (1 - 2mm), keep moist. The seedlings can be planted out in individual bags or containers as soon as they are large enough to handle[].
Suckers.

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