Aloe broomii Schönland

Plants usually solitary on rocky slopes. Stem usually simple, sometimes dividing at summit into 2-3 rosettes; short, or up to 1 met. long, procumbent, covered with the remains of old dried leaves. Leaves 30 cm long, 10 cm broad, densely rosulate (the rosette up to 1 met. diam. in old specimens), broadly ovate-lanceolate, acuminate in upper third, with 5-15 cm of the apical part dry and terminating in a pungent spine; upper surface flat below, slightly canaliculate upwards, obscurely lineate; lower surface slightly convex low down, more convex upwards, obscurely lineate, sometimes carinate-dentate in upper third, the teeth 1-2 mm long, 10-15 mm distant; margins strongly sinuate dentate, the corneous edge reddish-brown, the teeth deltoid with paler apices, smaller and more crowded near base, larger and more distant (10-15 mm) upwards, the interspaces rounded. Inflorescence mostly simple, 1 or 2 from a rosette, 1-1.5 m. high, rarely 2 or 3 each with a branch, in very robust growth forms. Peduncle flattened low down, 4-6 cm diam., semi-terete upwards, copiously sterile bracteate, the sterile bracts ovate-acuminate, spreading, thin, scarious, many-nerved, brown, the lowest up to 40 mm long, 20 mm broad, smaller upwards. Racemes very densely multi-flowered, cylindric slightly acuminate, up to 1 met. long, 6-8 cm diam., the buds entirely hidden by their longer densely imbricate bracts, the open flowers also hidden by their longer bracts, with only the exserted part of the genitals being visible. Pedicels 1-2 mm long. Bracts lanceolate-acute, 30 mm long, 15 mm broad at widest part, rather fleshy, white to palest lemon with thin white edges and slightly brownish apices, about 9-11-nerved, the nerves confluent at apex. Perianth 20-25 mm long, slightly curved, pale lemon, with a supply of clear nectar; outer segments free to base or almost so, pale lemon, with 3-5 pale green nerves confluent at apex; inner segments free, not cohering dorsally to the outer, with white edges and a lemon coloured keel; slightly broader and with more obtuse apices than the outer. Filaments semi-filiform, the 3 inner slightly narrower and lengthening in advance of the 3 outer, the included portion pale lemon, the 12 mm exserted part turning brownish-orange. Anthers the 3 inner and 3 outer in turn exserted 12 mm Stigma at length exserted 15 mm, remaining exserted after pollination and turning deep brown to black. Ovary 5 mm long, 3 mm diam. at base, lemon, tapering into the style. Flowering period is late August to early October.