Dorling Kindersley
Aloe, genus of plants with more than 150 species, most native to South Africa. They usually have short stems, fleshy, lanceolate leaves crowded in rosettes at the end of the stem, and red or yellow tubular flowers in dense clusters.
Species vary in height from several centimeters to more than 9 m (30 ft); they are widely cultivated as garden and tub plants. Several species are commercially important as the source of the aloes used in medicine.
• Scientific classification: Aloes belong to the family Liliaceae.
