Documented Utility and Biocultural Value of Aloe L. (Asphodelaceae): A Review1 2,3, 2 3,4 OLWEN M. GRACE *,MONIQUE S. J. SIMMONDS ,GIDEON F. SMITH , 3 AND ABRAHAM E. VAN WYK 2Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, Surrey, TW9 3AB, United Kingdom 3Department of Plant Science, University of Pretoria, Pretoria 0002, South Africa 4South African National Biodiversity Institute, Private Bag X001, Pretoria 0002, South Africa *Corresponding author,
[email protected] 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 docu- mented 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, no- tably 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. Key Words: Aloe; Asphodelaceae; biocultural value; conservation; Ethnobotany; medicine; Uses. Introduction natural products to export markets, particularly in Europe and Asia (Newton and Vaughan 1996; The genus Aloe L.