Aloe vera  Aloe vera ( or ) is a succulent plant species of the genus "Aloe". An evergreen perennial, it originates from the Arabian Peninsula, but grows wild in tropical, semi-tropical, and arid climates around the world. It is cultivated for agricultural and medicinal uses. The species is also used for decorative purposes and grows successfully indoors as a potted plant. It is found in many consumer products including beverages, skin lotion, cosmetics, or ointments for minor burns and sunburns. There is little clinical evidence for the effectiveness or safety of "Aloe vera" extract as a cosmetic or medicine. "Aloe vera" is a stemless or very short-stemmed plant growing to 60–100 cm (24–39 in) tall, spreading by offsets. The leaves are thick and fleshy, green to grey-green, with some varieties showing white flecks on their upper and lower stem surfaces. The margin of the leaf is serrated and has small white teeth. The flowers are produced in summer on a spike up to tall, each flower being pendulous, with a yellow tubular corolla 2–3 cm (0.8–1.2 in) long. Like other "Aloe" species, "Aloe vera" forms arbuscular mycorrhiza, a symbiosis that allows the plant better access to mineral nutrients in soil. "Aloe vera" leaves contain phytochemicals under study for possible bioactivity, such as acetylated mannans, polymannans, anthraquinone C-glycosides, anthrones, and other anthraquinones, such as emodin and various lectins. The species has a number of synonyms: "A. barbadensis" Mill., "Aloe indica" Royle, "Aloe perfoliata" L. var. "vera" and "A. vulgaris" Lam. Common names include Chinese Aloe, Indian Aloe, True Aloe, Barbados Aloe, Burn Aloe, First Aid Plant. The species epithet "vera" means "true" or "genuine". Some literature identifies the white-spotted form of "Aloe vera" as "Aloe vera" var. "chinensis"; and it has been suggested that the spotted form of "Aloe vera" may be conspecific with "A. massawana".