AmoJc0tuSarm'}  Curacoa  Aloes.  509 
*  Suppl.  Plant.  Succul.,'  p.  45,  in  1819,  as  a  probable  var.  of  Aloe 
barbadensis,  and  is  mentioned  by  name  only  in  Salm-Dyck's  mono- 
graph or  in  Kunth's '  Enum.,'  iv,  522.  It  is  clearly  quite  specifically 
distinct  from  A.  barbadensis.  The  leaves  are  never  more  than  half 
the  length  of  those  in  that  species  and  are  spotted  more  or  less 
copiously  on  the  back  and  face  after  the  fashion  of  Aloe  abyssinica  ; 
the  raceme  is  very  much  laxer  and  the  stamens  are  very  much 
shorter.  We  have  had  it  for  a  long  time  in  the  Kew  collection,  but 
never,  so  far  as  I  know,  with  any  definite  information  as  to  its  native 
country.  The  flower  has  a  strong  and  decidedly  unpleasant  scent. 
Its  affinity  is  with  A.  barbadensis,  abyssinica  and  consobrina." 
A  full  description  of  the  plant  is  given  both  in  the  Botanical 
Magazine  and  in  Mr.  Baker's  paper  on  "  Aloinse  "  in  the  Journal  of 
the  Linnean  Society,  vol.  xviii  (1881.  p.  161).  In  this  paper  the 
name  Aloe  barbadensis,  Mill.,  is  sunk  under  that  of  A.  vera,  L. 
From  the  above  statements  it  would  appear  that  the  Curacoa  aloe 
plant  is  nearly  allied  but  yet  specifically  distinct  from  A.  vera,  L. 
{A.  barbadensis,  Mill.),  so  that  if  it  can  be  shown  that  the  plant 
cultivated  in  Barbadoes  is  the  true  Aloe  barbadensis,  Mill.,  the 
specific  difference  might  go  far  towards  explaining  the  characteristic 
odor  and  appearance  of  Curacoa  aloes  as  compared  with  the  Barda- 
does  aloes  of  commerce.  * 
A.  vera,  L.  [Aloe  barbadensis,  Mill),  is  a  native  of  the  Mediterra- 
nean region,  although  now  widely  disseminated  in  the  warmer 
regions  of  the  globe,  and  there  is  a  variety  of  it,  littoralis,  Kcenig, 
found  on  the  southern  shores  of  eastern  India,  which  is  stated  in 
Baker's  monograph  (Jonrn.  Lin.  Soc,  xvliii,  p.  176)  to  come  near 
to  A.  chinensis,  Baker. 
In  the  absence  of  more  definite  information,  therefore,  it  may  be 
assumed  that  the  Aloe  chinensis  cultivated  in  Curacoa  was  probably 
carried  there  from  the  Dutch  East  Indies  ;  although  Ligon,  "  His- 
tory of  Barbadoes,"  London,  1673,  P-  9^,  speaks  of  the  plant  as  if 
it  were  indigenous  in  a.d.  i 647-1650,  about  twenty  years  only, 
after  the  arrival  of  the  first  settlers.2 
On  the  other  hand  no  aloe  is  known  as  a  native  of  America. 
The  two  specimens  received  from  Professor  van  Eeden  differ 
slightly  from  the  description  given  of  A.  chinensis.  Baker,  in  the 
following  particulars  : 
2  Pharmacographia,  2d  ed.,  p.  681. 
