Prospects for the domestication of Aloe mzimbana in Zambia

Abstract

Chishimba Falls is one of the several waterfalls of aesthetic value and tourist attraction in Zambia, located on the Luombe River, which forms part of the Bangweulu Basin drainage system. The geomorphological nature of Chishimba Falls is such that it consists of two waterfalls called the Mutumuna and Chishimba and the Kaela Rapids. The Chishimba Falls Heritage Site covers an area of 777 hectares. It is surrounded by human settlements and residences for staff of the Zambia Electricity Supply Corporation and the Zambia National Service. Out of a total of 314 plant species recorded at this site, 138 species of flowering plants are of ethnobotanical value. Vegetation studies conducted at this heritage site generated an idea on the prospects to domesticate species of Aloe, particularly Aloe mzimbana, as a source of pharmaceutical compounds.