User:Trinity507/Personal ethnobotany research project

Aloe vera

 * Common names: Aloe, Barbados Aloe, Curaçao Aloe
 * Wikipedia: Allium

Plant descriptions

 * Range and habitat: Hillsides and disturbed ground, across the eastern half of the United States (Minnesota is towards the western border of its range).
 * Appearance and identification of plant: A bulbous perennial. Dark green tubular leaves/stems that taste similar to chives, 1 to 2 feet tall. The root is fairly small and white, growing not too deep beneath the ground, made up of layers like a garden onion, with a moist fleshy peel.
 * Appearance and identification of flower: Small 6-pointed pale purple flowers make up a round globular cluster on top of the stem.
 * Bloom time: Late spring to mid summer

Traditional uses

 * For colds: Sweetened decoction of the root used by the Great Lakes Anishinabe, especially for colds in children.


 * Cholesterol reduction: The entire Allium family, due to its high sulfur content, can help to lower bad cholesterol as part of a healthy diet.
 * Tonic: When part of a healthy diet, the Allium family acts as a tonic for the digestive and circulatory systems. It has been used this way by thousands of years by many native cultures, notably the Ancient Egyptians.