Aloe microstigma Salm-dyck

Plants solitary or in small groups. Stem simple to branched; mostly procumbent, occasionally erect and covered with old leaf remains; usually short, but reaching 50 cm in length in specimens of very robust growth, up to 10 cm diam., with old dried leaf remains persistent. Leaves densely rosulate, lanceolate-deltoid, tapering to the apex, averaging 30 cm long, 6-5 cm broad low down (sometimes reaching 50 cm long, 8 cm broad in very robust growth forms); upper surface fiat low down, slightly channelled towards apex, green, sometimes with a reddish tinge, usually obscurely lineate, sometimes without spots but frequently with several scattered spots, the white spots 'H' shaped and irregularly scattered; lower surface convex, similar in colour and lineation, rarely unspotted, usually more copiously spotted than the upper surface, the spots irregularly scattered and never arranged in transverse bands; margins sinuate-dentate, with a reddish-brown cartilaginous edge, armed with reddish-brown deltoid pungent teeth 2-4 mm long, 5-10 mm distant. Inflorescence simple, usually 2-3 simultaneously from a rosette (sometimes 5), 60-80 cm high, erect or slightly arcuate-erect. Peduncle copiously sterile-bracteate, the sterile bracts broadly deltoid, acute, thin, scarious, brownish, the lowest about 25 mm long, 12 mm broad, gradually smaller upwards. Racemes from conical 20 cm, long, to cylindric-acuminate 40 cm long, usually bicoloured, with dull red buds bluish-grey tipped, the open flowers at first orange then greenish-yellow, sometimes with greenish-yellow buds and flowers, rarely with dull red buds and flowers; the buds hidden by their densely imbricate bracts, older buds, horizontally disposed with the lowest open flowers cernuous to pendulous. Pedicels lowest 25-30 mm long, gradually shorter upwards, and reaching 40 mm in the fruit stage. Bracts lowest lanceolate-acute, about half as long as their pedicels, basally amplexicaul, deep brown, thin, dry, many-nerved. Perianth cylindrical to slightly ventricose, averaging 25-30 mm long; outer segments free to base, 3-5-nerved, the nerves turning greenish at apex, apices sub-acute slightly spreading; inner segments free and not cohering to the outer, broader, and with 3 congested nerves forming a keel the colour of the perianth, the apices more obtuse and more spreading than the outer. Filaments pale lemon, filiform-flattened, the 3 inner narrower and lengthening in advance of the 3 outer. Anthers the 3 inner and 3 outer in turn exserted 1-3 mm Stigma at length exserted up to 3 mm. Ovary 8 mm long, 3 mm diam., finely 6-grooved, green. Capsule 30 mm long, 9 mm diam. at the middle. Flowering period varies from late May and early June in the eastern localities, to mid July in the localities furthest west.