Aloe L.

14. Aloe L. 1

Shrubs, or scapose perennial herbs. Leaves ovate to linearacuminate, coriaceous, more or less succulent, spinose-dentate, usually aggregated into dense rosettes. Inflorescence of 1 or more axillary (often subterminal), bracteate racemes or panicles; flowers red, orange or yellow, pendent or deflexed at full anthesis.

Perianth cylindrical; outer 3 segments free or variously connate; inner 3 free from each other but sometimes adnate to the outer. Stamens exserted or equalling perianth; anthers extrorse, basifixed. Fruit a loculicidal capsule; seeds numerous.

A large genus, almost exclusively African, of which many species and hybrids are cultivated for ornament in the Mediterranean region. In habit it shows strong affinities with the Agavaceae , but lacks the distinctive anatomical and cytological characters of that family.

Measurements of the inflorescence include the peduncle.

In addition to the species described below a few others are reported as escapes and perhaps naturalized in single localities near the coast of S.E. France or N.E. Spain. These include:

A. spectabilis Reynolds , Jour. S. Afr. Bot. 3: 129 (1937). Like 9 but with yellow flowers and shorter racemes and bracts.

A. maculata All. , Auct. Syn. Stirp. Horti Taur. 13 (1773) ( A. umbellata DC. ). Stem short, erect; leaves 25-30 x 8-12 cm, with white spots on upper surface; flowers in subcapitate racemes arranged in a dichotomous panicle; perianth c. 40 mm, orange to pink; stamens scarcely exserted.

A. xprincipis (Haw.) Stearn, Cactus Jour. 7: 42 (1938) ( A. salm-dyckiana Schultes & Schultes fil. ; 8 x 9). Like 8 but usually with some spines on lower surface of leaf near apex, and with stamens exceeding perianth by 7-12 mm.

A plant of this genusnaturalized in S. Greece has been ascribed to A. obscura Miller, Gard. Diet. ed. 8, no. 6 (1768), but this name cannot with certainty be attached to any wild species or known hybrid.

Literature: G. W. Reynolds. The Aloes of South Africa. Johannesburg. 1950. The Aloes of tropical Africa and Madagas­ car. Mbabane. 1966.

1 Stamens exceeding perianth by 20-25 mm at full anthesis

9. ferox 1 Stamens equalling perianth, or exceeding it by not more than

5 mm

2 Leaves 35-60 cm

3 Flowersyellow 4. vera 3 Flowersred

4 Stem not more than 1 m, often absent; bracts and marginal spines of leaves dark purple 7. succotrina 4 Stem 1 -5-3-5 m; bracts and marginal spines of leaves greenish 8. arborescens 2 Leaves6-20cm

5 Stem well-developed,± decumbent; leavesnot allcrowded in terminal rosettes

6 Leaves linear-lanceolate, with ciliate auricles; pedicels c.

5 mm 5. ciliaris 6 Leaves ovate-lanceolate, without ciliate auricles; pedicels

c. 40 mm 6. perfoliata 5 Stem absent, or short and erect; leaves all crowded in dense,

terminal rosettes

7 Leaves 2 |-4 times as long as wide; all perianth-segments free 3. brevifolia 7 Leaves 5-8 times as long as wide; perianth-segments variously united

8 Leaves with a flexuous apical arista 10-15 mm; bracts much shorter than pedicels 1. aristata 8 Leaves with a stout apical spine 2-4 mm; bracts almost as long as pedicels 2. humilis