XVI International Botanical Congess

A chemotaxonomic study on the leaf phenolics of virtually all species of Aloe has made it possible to define several chemical groups in the genus of ca. 400 species. The chemical groups are either identified by a single marker compound or a series of unique compounds. Ten groups have been identified and the chemotaxonomic value of each group will be shown with the aid of a dendrogram. These chemical groups have lead to an improved understanding of natural relationships in a genus where no satisfactory infrageneric classification has hitherto been available.