Aloe speciosa Baker

Stem simple or branched low down or high up, averaging 3-4 met. high, sometimes 6 met. in tall dense bush, with the rosettes usually tilted sideways, the old dry leaf remains persistent. Leaves many in a dense rosette, 60-80 cm long, about 7-9 cm broad at base, gradually narrowing to the apex; upper surface usually dull glaucous green with a slight bluish to reddish tinge, flat low down, becoming slightly canaliculate near apex; lower surface convex, usually greener than the upper surface which is more exposed to the sun; margins with a very narrow thin deep pink to pale reddish edge, armed with very small pale red teeth 1 mm long, and about 10 mm distant, the interspaces straight. Inflorescence always simple, arcuate-erect, about 50 cm long, up to 4 simultaneously from a rosette. Peduncle about 20 cm (below the raceme), clothed with ovate-obtuse thin scarious brownish many-nerved sterile bracts about 16 mm long, 20 mm broad. Racemes very densely flowered, broadly cylindric, slightly acuminate, about 30 cm long, 12 cm diam., with the older red buds not obscured by their bracts, with greenish-white open flowers, and brownish-orange exserted filaments giving the raceme a tricoloured effect. Bracts lanceolate-obtuse, up to 20 mm long, 10 mm broad, thin, papery, scarious, brownish, many-nerved. Pedicels 5-8 mm long, green. Perianth cylindric-ventricose, 30-35 mm long, white with a greenish tinge; outer segments free almost to base, marked with 3-5 nerves which are pale green for their greater length turning deeper green near apex, the apices sub-acute straight, the 2 upper segment apices closer grouped and connivent; inner segments free, broader than the outer, white, sub-carinate with 3 congested green nerves, the apices more obtuse and shortly revolute. Filaments lemon-yellow within the perianth, the exserted portion brownish-orange, the 3 inner narrower and lengthening in advance of the 3 outer. Anthers the 3 inner and 3 outer in turn exserted up to 16 mm Style the exserted part orange (paler than the exserted part of the filaments). Stigma at length exserted 16 mm, and remaining exserted when the filaments dry and contract.. Ovary 5 mm long, 4 mm diam. at base, green.