Aloe ( or ), also written
Aloë, is a
genus containing over 500
species of
flowering succulent plants. The most widely known species is
Aloe vera, or "true aloe", so called because, though probably extinct in the wild, it is cultivated as the standard source of so-called "aloe vera" for assorted pharmaceutical purposes. Other species, such as
Aloe ferox, also are cultivated or harvested from the wild for similar applications.