PESTICIDAL PLANT LEAFLET Aloe ferox Mill. ROYAL BOTANIC GARDENS Taxonomy and nomenclature Family: Xanthorrhoeaceae (formerly Asphodelaceae) Synonym(s): Aloe candelabrum A. Berger (1906) Vernacular/ common names : (English): Red aloe, bitter aloe, cape aloe (French): Aloes du Cap Distribution and habitat A. ferox is indigenous to South Africa and Lesotho, growing in the semi-arid open plains to rocky mountain slopes. In Kenya it is commonly cultivated in Nairobi gardens and its environs. It is distributed throughout the tropics and sub tropics where it grows as an ornamental or medicinal plant. It grows in a wide range of climatic conditions, but abundant on arid, rocky hillsides up to 1000 mo altitude, where mean temperature ranges from Botanical description 27-31 C and annual rainfall is 50-300 mm. A. ferox is a single-stemmed plant growing up to 2-5 m tall. The crown is a dense rosette of green to red-brown succulent leaves up to 1 m long and the stem is covered Uses in persistent dried leaves. Each leaf has brown spines There are two main useful products obtained from A. along the margins and often on the surfaces. The flowers ferox. Aloe gel comes from the leaf parenchyma, the are bisexual, about 10 cylindrical racemes on a branched white inner fleshy part. It drains from the leaf when cut panicle, long with dark orange stamens protruding from and is used for its cleansing, antiseptic, moisturizing the mouth. Some forms can have bright red, yellow or and anti-inflamatory properties. Aloe bitters, the dark white flowers. sap comes from between the green peel and the white jelly and are used as a laxative and to treat arthritis. Note: Always verify your plant specimen and deposit a A. ferox has more vitamins, minerals, amino acids and voucher in a verified herbarium. polysaccharides than A. vera. Insecticidal - It repels insects when planted as a live Fruit and Seed description fence. The leaf ash is also used as an insect repellent Fruit is an ovoid capsule up to 3 cm long, many seeded. and can be dusted onto stored maize or cowpea at The seeds are about 9 mm long, broadly winged. The a concentration of about 5% w/w as reported for A. seeds storage of A. ferox is orthodox. The dry seeds marlothii. survive without significant reduction in their viability Medicinal - In humans it regenerates injured nerves and thus can be stored by long-term freezing. and new skin cells, soothes sunburn, wounds, insect bites, eczema, ringworm, rashes, acne, reduces pain Flowering and fruiting habit and swelling of arthritis and rheumatism and is used to In South Africa the striking flowers are seen in winter treat opthalmia and syphilis. In cattle, it is used to treat from May to October. jaundice, red water and expels worms. Seed storage behaviour Safety measure Seed storage is orthodox. The seeds of A. ferox survive Always use gloves, protective clothing and caution being dried without significantly reducing their viability, when handling and applying plant materials to field and are therefore amenable to long-term cold storage. crops or stored commodities and minimise exposure of consumers. Avoid contact with the skin. In case of accidental contact, immediately wash the affected area Growth and development with clean running water. The flower morphology suggests pollination by birds and honey bees. It is self-incompatible and only a few flowers per raceme flower simultaneously. The Selected readings stamens produce pollen in the morning and wither in www.kew.org. the afternoon. www.sanbi.org/biodiversity/reddata.07/10/2009. www.database.prota.org. Propagation www.seedaholic.com. A. ferox is easy to cultivate. It grows best in free draining compost which should be soaked and allowed to dry Grace, O.M., Simmonds, M.S.J., Smith, G.F. & Van out between watering and light watering in winter. It Wyk, A.E. (2009). Documented utility and biocultural grows well in a cool/ warm glasshouse and put outside value of Aloe L. (Asphodelaceae): a review. Economic in summer. It can be propagated by seed and planting of Botany, 64, 167-178. the tops of old plants. It can also regenerate from root Achiano, K.A., Giliomee, J.H., Pringle, K.L. 1999. The and embryo tissue. use of ash from Aloe marlothii Berger for the control of maize weevil, Sitophilus zeamais Motschulsky (Coleoptera: Curculionidae), in stored maize. African Harvesting Entomology, 7, 169-172 Harvesting of leaves is sustainable by cutting older Fourie, J.J., Fourie, L. J., Horak, I. G. (2005). Efficacy ones and leaving younger ones and growing tips. The of orally administered powdered aloe juice (Aloe ferox) leaves are cut off transversely and exudates allowed to against ticks on cattle and ticks and fleas on dogs. Jls. drain for 4-5 hours. Squeezing the leaves by warm or Afri. Vet. Ass. 76 (4), 193-196. cold water retting will also drain the exudates. There Jellin, J.M., Gregory, P.J., et al. (2008). Pharmacist’s are more exudates in wet rather than dry months. The Letter/Prescriber’s Letter Natural Medicines gel is obtained by removing the outer tissues and/ or Comprehensive Database. 10th Ed. Therapeutic by scraping it from the leaf blade cut lengthwise. Two Research Faculty, Stockton. tonnes of A. ferox yield about 1 kg of gel powder, which is higher than for A. vera. Reynolds, G.W. (1950). The Aloes of South Africa. Aloes Book Fund, Johannesburg. Conservation status Threatened Species Programme (2009). South African Aloe ferox is common throughout its range in South National Biodiversity Institute, Pretoria. Africa. Most of the material used in commercial products is wild-harvested; there are concerns that increasing demands will threaten the sustainability of this resource. Authors: P. Anjarwalla, L. Mwaura, D. A. Ofori, R. Jamnadass, P. C. Stevenson, P. Smith. ISBN 978-92-9059-340-9 Pesticidal plant leaflets are a series of species wise extension leaflets on botanical pesticides. Leaflets are compiled from existing literature and research available at the time of writing. In order to currently improve recommendations, ICRAF, MSBP and the University of Greenwich encourage feedback from users and researchers who have experience with the species. Comments, corrections, improvements and amendments will be incorporated into future edited leaflets. Please write your comments to: [email protected] or [email protected] PESTICIDAL PLANT LEAFLET Dysphania ambrosioides L. ROYAL BOTANIC GARDENS Taxonomy and nomenclature Distribution and habitat Family: Chenopodiaceae It is found throughout the tropical and subtropical regions Synonym: Chenopodium ambrosioides (L.) Mosyakin of the world, but mostly polymorphic in South America. & Clemants It is found in a variety of disturbed habitats, gardens, Vernacular/ common names: cultivated fields, waste ground but most often on sand (English): Wormseed, Mexican tea by rivers. Preferred altitude ranges between 550-1620 (Maa): Ngaingunudero m. In Kenya, it is found in Tsavo East National Park, in (Kipsigis): Kibirosit Nyeri, Limuru, Thika, Machakos and Laikipia. (Kamba): Muanzo/ Mwianzo Uses Pesticidal - Leaf decoction is used as a fumigant against mosquitoes and flies and kills snails. Also used as a fungi toxicant in post harvest grain protection. Added to fertilizers to inhibit insect larvae. Oil used as post- harvest grain protection as a fungi toxicant. Powdered leaves can be added to stored grain at around 0.5% w/w to control Bruchids in bean or up to 5% w/w for the control of maize storage pests including Sitophilus zeamais. Consumption of the leaf powder should be avoided on account of the potential harmful effects of the active ingredient ascaridole although this compound is volatile and will naturally escape stored products. Regular agitation of stored bags may help to reinvigorate the effects of the plant material. Winnowing off plant material before use will reduce risk. Food - Leaves used as condiments in soups or tea. Soaked and cooked seeds are consumed in moderation. Medicinal - Tea drunk to expel parasitic worms from the body of humans and livestock. Used as remedy for stomach pains, used to clean haemorrhoids, detoxify snakebites and other poisons, clean wounds. Oil used to treat athletes foot and insect bites. Photograph B T Wursten Botanical description Safety measure D. ambrosioides is a hermaphroditic herb, usually Always use gloves, protective clothing and caution annual, up to 180 cm high, upright, much branched, when handling and applying plant materials to field green. Leaves are mostly lanceolate (up to 4 cm long crops or stored commodities and minimise exposure and 1 cm wide) and toothed. Flowers are small, green, in of consumers. Avoid contact with the skin. In case of an elongated, dense, terminal cluster, petals none. accidental contact, immediately wash the affected area with clean running water Note: Always verify your plant specimen and deposit a voucher in a verified herbarium. Caution: This plant can be invasive Fruits and seed description The bracts of the fruits are green or brown, often Selected readings enclosed in infolded perianth. The fruit odour is strong, USDA Plants database. (http://plants.usda.gov). the taste pungent and bitter. Seeds are horizontal or vertical (rarely oblique), lenticular to subglobose, seed Hammouda, F.M., Ismail, S.I., Abdel-Azim N.S., Shams coat black, brown or reddish brown, embryo annular K.A. and Batanouny K.H., (2005). A Guide to Medicinal or horseshoe-shaped, surrounding copious farinaceous Plants in North Africa. IUCN Centre for Mediterranean perisperm. Cooperation, Malaga, Spain. Tapondjou, L.A., Adler, C.; Bouda, H. & Fontem, Flowering and fruiting habit D.A. (2002). Efficacy of powder and essential oil from Chenopodium ambrosioides leaves as post-harvest grain In Kenya, it flowers in July-August and the fruits are protectants against six-stored product beetle. Journal of ripe in September.