Plants. CXm r ° l PL No:-fi. 



MEDICINAL - PLANT S. 



The Aloes of Soccotora. 



(Aloe socco trina.) 

 The Aloes here represented, remarkable on 

 account of its physical virtues, as well as 

 the common Aloes, (vide the Porte folio of 

 Children Vol. III. No. 24.) is met with 

 in the isle of Soccotora, situated on the 

 east coast of Africa, towards the stra- 

 ights of Babelmandeb. The Stock rises 

 a Foot and a half above the root, and 

 at the ; p it bears thick Leaves which 

 are pointed and indented. The Pedicle 

 which measures about a foot and a half 



shoots out from amidst those leaves, bea* 

 ring a clusterlike crown of red flowers, which 

 partly raise themselves in an horizontal di- 

 rection, partly hang downward. The peri- 

 carpium, arising from the flowers, includes 

 the seed, which ripens only in the native 

 country of this aloes. For that reason it is 

 propagated in the hot-houses of Europe by 

 means of germings. 



The carved leaves of this plant produce 

 a murrey coloured juice, which, condensa- 

 ted into resin, formerly has been employed 

 in medicine; but now little use is made of it. 



