Abstract
In 2005 the South African Indigenous Plant Use Forum met in Grahamstown. We were privileged to observe the harvesting and processing of Aloe ferox. Unlike Aloe vera, which is grown on plantations, this species is wild harvested. It is a relatively slow-growing tree species and therefore, plantations are not practical. Wild harvesting limits the harvest, so one might consider other species. I asked why Aloe marlothii is not harvested and was told it is too variable. I had published an article on this species (Hargreaves 2005) and already knew this, but decided to do a bit more research and report back at the next forum which was to be held in Gaborone, Botswana (the first such forum outside of South Africa). The species appears fairly consistent, but there are a few characteristics that hint at the chemical variance. Only farther east (Swaziland and Mozambique) do the vegetative plants look different. The eastern form is greener, shorter, and
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