Aloe leaf cymbidium

Overview

Aloe leaf cymbidium is an orchid growing on trees or rocks. It has very thick, rigid leaves, which remind one of Aloe. Commonly found in Nepal, India, Sri Lanka, Burma (Myanmar), the Andaman Islands, Indo-China, Southern China, Taiwan, Thailand, Peninsular Malaysia, Sumatra, Java, Borneo and the Philippines. It is a potent medicinal epiphytic orchid plant in the Indian systems of medicine. The diversity of phytochemicals detected in different parts of the plant and antibacterial properties of capsule cover suggests this plant as a source of useful drug.

Vernacular Names

Kare karon (Thai), Lan lô hội (Vietnamese).

Agroecology

This plant occurs in mixed forest and teak forest, in evergreen and in semi-deciduous and deciduous dry lowland forests and savannah-like woodlands at elevations of sea level to 1,100 m as a large sized, hot to warm growing epiphyte or lithophyte on open mossy rocks.

Morphology

• Roots - numerous, densely covering the base.
• Leaves - oblong, 30-35 x 1.5 x 2 cm, obtuse at apex.
• Flowers - in 30-40 cm long, pendulous, lax slender racemes; sepals similar, 25 x 5 mm, linear-lanceolate, acute, 7-veined, petals 20 x 6 mm, oblong-lanceolate, acute, 5-veined, lip 17 x 10 mm, trilobed, lateral lobes obliquely oblong, obtuse, less than column, midlobe ovate, acute, disc with 2 fleshy calli at the mouth of the small saccate base.
• Fruits - a big capsule, green, persistent throughout the year.
• Seeds - many and minute.

Cultivation

Propagated by seeds and pseudobulb division.

Chemical Constituents

1-(4-Hydroxybenzyl)-4,6-dimethoxy-9,10-dihydrophenanthrene-2,7-diol, cymbinodin-A dihydrophenanthrene, vitexin, and isovitexin.

Traditional Medicinal Uses

• In Thailand, juice expressed from heated leaves is dropped into the ear to treat otitis media.
• In Vietnam, the plant is used to treat colds and irregular menses, and as a tonic, whereas crushed leaves are applied externally to treat arthritis, sores and burns.
• In Nepal, the paste is used for bone fracture and dislocated bones, powder is used as a tonic and bulbs is used as demulcent agent.