Aloe pluridens Haw.

Plants tall arborescent shrubs with stems simple or branched low down or high up, averaging 2-3 met., sometimes up to 4-5 met. high. Leaves 30-40, densely rosulate, erectly spreading and gracefully recurved, sometimes falcately deflexed, mostly 60-70 cm long, 5-6 cm broad at base, gradually tapering to an acuminate apex; upper surface pale green to yellowish-green, flat or sometimes slightly convex low down becoming slightly channelled near apex, obscurely lineate; lower surface convex, similar to the upper surface; margins sinuate-dentate, with a narrow white cartilaginous edge armed with white or palest pink, firm deltoid incurved teeth 2-3 mm Long, 5-10 mm distant, usually smaller paler and more crowded low down, gradually larger, pinkish and more distant upwards. Inflorescence up to 3 from a rosette, each with up to 4 branches, the terminal the longest and 80 cm.-1 met. high. Peduncle not sterile-bracteate below the first branch, but branches below racemes usually with a few scattered broadly ovate obtuse many-nerved sterile bracts, at first slightly fleshy, becoming thin and scarious. Racemes long-conical, averaging 25-30 cm long, 9-10 cm, diam., buds and flowers usually salmon-pink to dull scarlet (nearest strawberry-pink, R.C.S. I). Bracts broadly ovate, acute, about 20 mm long, 10-12 mm broad, very thin and scarious, rather white, with about 12 salmon-pink nerves confluent at apex. Pedicels the lowest 30-35 mm long, lengthening a little in the fruit. Perianth averaging 40-45 mm long, cylindric-trigonous, very slightly trigonously indented above the ovary, thence very slightly enlarging towards the throat; outer segments free to base but usually lightly cohering to the inner for half their length, 3-5-nerved from the middle upwards, the nerves more prominent and greenish near apex, the apices sub-acute, spreading; inner segments free to base, white, broader than the outer, with a prominent keel the colour of the perianth for its greater length turning greenish at apex, the apices more obtuse and more spreading than the outer. Filaments yellow, filiform-flattened, the 3 inner narrower and lengthening in advance of the 3 outer. Anthers the 3 inner and 3 outer in turn exserted 2-4 mm Stigma at length exserted up to 5 mm, Ovary 9 mm long, 4 mm diam., green, finely 6-grooved, slightly tapering into the style.