Aloe microstigma subsp. juttae (Dinter) Klopper, 2023

4b. Aloe microstigma subsp. juttae (Dinter) Klopper comb. et stat. nov. ( Fig. 15 View FIGURE 15 )

Basionym: — Aloe juttae Dinter (1923: 159) . Type :— NAMIBIA: Gubub, 7 June 1922, M.K. Dinter 3601 ( lectotype [designated here] B B 10 1244036!, as ‘holotype’ [http://herbarium.bgbm.org/object/ B101244036 ]; isolectotypes B B 10 1244034! & B 10 1244035! [2 sheets] as ‘holotype’ [http://herbarium.bgbm.org/object/ B101244034 ; http://herbarium.bgbm.org/object/ B101244035 ], BOL BOL140198 About BOL ! as ‘isotype’ [https://plants.jstor.org/stable/viewer/10.5555/al.ap.specimen.bol140198], DR DR081354 ! [https://dr.jacq. org/ DR081354 ], PRE! PRE0090536-1 About PRE & -2 [2 sheets] as ‘isotype’ [https://plants.jstor.org/stable/viewer/10.5555/al.ap.specimen. pre0090536-1; https://plants.jstor.org/stable/viewer/10.5555/al.ap.specimen.pre0090536-2], SAM SAM0073732 View Materials -0! as ‘isotype’ [https://plants.jstor.org/stable/viewer/10.5555/al.ap.specimen.sam0073732-0]).

Note regarding type:— The protologue of A. juttae ( Dinter 1923) states that the holotype of this name is in Herb. B and that isotypes are at Herbs. BOL, PRE, and SAM. During this study, a further, previously uncited, duplicate was traced at Herb. DR.

Two duplicates of Dinter 3601 could be traced at Herb. B. One duplicate consists of two sheets (B 10 1244034 & B 10 1244035) and shows signs of insect damage; sheet I contains two inflorescences and an envelope with the remains of flowering and fruiting material, while sheet II consists of two leaves. The second duplicate (B 10 1244036) consists of a leaf, an inflorescence, and an envelope with a flower and what appears to be a bract. The duplicate with barcode B 10 1244036 is here designated as lectotype as it shows all the diagnostic characters of the species and is in a better state of preservation than the other duplicate at Herb. B that consists of two sheets (B 10 1244034 & B 10 1244035).

Description:— Acaulescent to shortly caulescent plants; rosettes in dense groups. Leaves densely rosulate, erectly spreading, blue-green, often reddish, with few elongated white spots on both surfaces, narrowly lanceolate, gradually attenuate, ± 30 cm long, 2.5–4.5 cm wide; margin with pungent, deltoid, reddish brown teeth, 0.5–2.0(–3.0) mm long, 4–8 mm apart; leaf exudate yellow, drying yellow. Inflorescence single or up to 3 per rosette simultaneously, ± 0.6 m high, erect, simple or often 2- or 3-branched from below middle. Peduncle 1.1–1.4 cm wide and plano-convex below, terete upwards, reddish green to brown; with sterile bracts, acute, 20–25(–32) mm long, 10–14(–18) mm wide, pale, scarious, 8-nerved. Racemes cylindrical, (25–) 30–40 cm long, erect, dense; buds erect to spreading, flowers nodding when open. Floral bracts broadly lanceolate, acute, amplexicaul, 12–20 mm long, 4–6 mm wide, reddish brown, rather scarious, 5- to 7-nerved. Pedicels 15–20 mm long, red. Flowers: perianth bright orange-yellow to orange-red, green-tipped, (18–)20–28(–30) mm long, 7 mm across ovary, not narrowed above ovary, cylindrical; outer segments free to base, tips slightly spreading; stamens with filiform flattened filaments, yellow with exserted portion turning purplish brown, shortly exserted or included; ovary 5 mm long, 2.0– 2.5 mm diameter, green; style bright yellow, exserted 4–5 mm.

Diagnostic characters:— Aloe microstigma subsp. juttae is distinguished by its dense rosette clusters forming a disorderly shrub. Leaves are usually copiously white-spotted and narrow ( 2.5–4.5 mm wide), with reddish brown marginal teeth of 0.5–2.0 mm long. Inflorescences are simple or often 2- or 3-branched, ± 0.6 m high, and usually with unicoloured to only very slightly bicoloured racemes of 30–40 cm long. Floral buds are orange-red and mature flowers orange-yellow to orange-red and 20–28 mm long. Pedicels are 15–20 mm long. Floral bracts ( 12–20 mm) are about as long as the pedicels. Leaf exudate does usually not dry purple (dries yellow).

Distribution:— Only known from southwestern Namibia, isolated mountains in Bushmanland, and the Richtersveld, Northern Cape, South Africa. Endemic to the Gariep Centre of Endemism.

Habitat:— Granite ridges with large scattered boulders.

Elevation:— 1 000–1 600 m

Flowering time:— May–June

Etymology:— Commemorates Mrs Jutta Dinter (fl. 1906–1935), wife of Namibian botanist M.K. Dinter (author of the basionym).

General notes:— This taxon was originally described as Aloe juttae , but has long been treated as a synonym of Aloe microstigma ( Reynolds 1950) .

Additional specimens examined:— SOUTH AFRICA. Northern Cape: Pofadder, farm Boomrivier, on Slangberg , 21 July 2010, R.R. Klopper & A.W. Klopper 396 ( KMG, PRE). NAMIBIA. Luderitz, Klein Aus Farm LU8, 24 June 1974, J.W.H. Giess 13368 ( PREm). Between Gubub and Aus , 7 June 1922, M.K. Dinter 3601 ( isotypes BOL, PREm, SAM). Farm Kubub LU 15, 9 September 1973, J.W.H. Giess 12864 ( WIND); no date, J.W.H. Giess & D. van Vuuren 793 ( WIND); Farm Kubub , just S of Aus , 18 July 2010, R.R. Klopper & A.W. Klopper 387 & 388 ( NBGgc, PREgc, WINDgc). Klinghardtberge , 20 September 1977, H. Merxmüller & J.W.H. Giess 32202 ( WIND). Heiob Mountains , 15 February 1984, M.B. Bayer 3885 ( NBG). Witputz, Aurus Mountains , Rooiberg , D.S. Hardy 5056 ( PREm). Luderitz, Witputz-Sud LU31 Farm , 26 June 1975, M.A.N. Müller & W.J. Jankowitz 294 ( PREm, WIND); 16 June 1976, J.W.H. Giess & M.A.N. Müller 14424 ( PREm, WIND); S of Witputs , fl. hort. Stellenbosch University , H. Herre SUGardens 7119 ( BOL). Rosh Pinah , Numeis , 2 September 2000, P.V. Bruyns 8835 ( NBG); S of Farm Zebrafontein 87, 28 August 2003, P.V. Bruyns 9479a ( WIND). Namibia, ex Triebner, fl. in hort. Frames, Kenilworth , July 1935, P. Ross Frames s.n. ( BOL) .