A closer view of Aloe woldu
Aloe woldu on bloom
Number of edges per 10cm.Thursday, February 26, 2009
Wednesday, February 25, 2009
The rationale of this blog
This blog is dedicated to gradually compile the floral and fauna of Eritrea,which in turn will encourage and boost related research from inside and outside the country. This blogger was started right after the establishment of the Medicinal Plants and Drug Discovery Research Center (MPDDRC) in the University of Asmara, Eritrea. As per the goals of MPDDRC a complete list of the Eritrean flora has to be compiled and then proceed with screening of those plants with a known medicinal value. The MPDDRC was working towards this goal tirelessly by hiring part time and volunteer young scholars in this area. As a result the center showing good progress and has already set laboratory protocols for Aloe plants. Aloes are popular globally with their jell called Aloe jell, and mainly extracted from the common Aloe vera . Similarly the other Aloe spp. may have also economical and medicinal value. Therefore, this blog will explore all the Aloes found in Eritrea parallel with the compilation of the Eritrean floral list. Out of all the Aloe species nine are found in Eritrea , in which seven of them (Aloe elegans, Aloe camperi, Aloe marcocarpa, Aloe steudneri,
Aloe percrassa, and Aloe trichosantha) are regionally endemic whereas the other two ( Aloe schoelleri and Aloe eumassawana) are locally endemic to Eritrea . Moreover, Aloe woldu, which is yet to be identified (in Central highland), Aloe sinkatana(in Western lowland)and Aloe adigratan(in Southern highland) are also believed to be parts of the Eritrean Aloe plants. These days , this group of plants have their own independent family called Aloaceae, instead of the former Liliaceae and Asphodelaceae, which sometimes you may however find some people use the later ones.
The distribution of this group of plants in Eritrea cover wide area and range from a sea level to 2700 meters a.s.l. For example, all the six regions of the country are at least represented by one or more species of the Aloe plants . The MPDDRC is keen to boost research on their secondary compounds and simultaneously document their floristic, taxonomic and conservation studies. Eritrea is located on the North Eastern (Horn) part of Africa, bordering, Sudan on the North and West, Ethiopia on the South, Djibouti on the South East and Red sea on the East. Eritrea’s total land area is 125,000s.q.kms, and 1000kms long coastal area on the Red sea that stretch from Sudan to Djibouti. Therefore, this mosaic landscape of the country allows the diverse faunal and floral distribution.
Aloe percrassa, and Aloe trichosantha) are regionally endemic whereas the other two ( Aloe schoelleri and Aloe eumassawana) are locally endemic to Eritrea . Moreover, Aloe woldu, which is yet to be identified (in Central highland), Aloe sinkatana(in Western lowland)and Aloe adigratan(in Southern highland) are also believed to be parts of the Eritrean Aloe plants. These days , this group of plants have their own independent family called Aloaceae, instead of the former Liliaceae and Asphodelaceae, which sometimes you may however find some people use the later ones.
The distribution of this group of plants in Eritrea cover wide area and range from a sea level to 2700 meters a.s.l. For example, all the six regions of the country are at least represented by one or more species of the Aloe plants . The MPDDRC is keen to boost research on their secondary compounds and simultaneously document their floristic, taxonomic and conservation studies. Eritrea is located on the North Eastern (Horn) part of Africa, bordering, Sudan on the North and West, Ethiopia on the South, Djibouti on the South East and Red sea on the East. Eritrea’s total land area is 125,000s.q.kms, and 1000kms long coastal area on the Red sea that stretch from Sudan to Djibouti. Therefore, this mosaic landscape of the country allows the diverse faunal and floral distribution.
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