Aloe succotrina Lam.

Plants varying from small, sub-acaulescent and in low dense groups, to large and fruticose. Stem short or up to 1-2 met. long, erect or procumbent, simple, or dichotomously branched, sometimes dividing at the summit, about 10-15 cm diam. with old dry leaves persistent. Leaves many, densely rosulate, arcuate-erect, up to 50 cm long, 7-10 cm broad at base, gradually tapering to the apex, rather fleshy and about 15-20 mm thick at the middle; upper surface flat low down to very slightly canaliculate upwards, dull green to grey-green, obscurely lineate, sometimes with a few small scattered white spots; lower surface convex, similar in colour, obscurely lineate, sometimes with a few small white spots, especially low down; margins usually with a dull white narrow cartilaginous edge, armed with firm white deltoid teeth 2-4 mm long, smaller and more crowded near base, larger and more distant (10 mm) towards apex. Inflorescence about 1 met. high, mostly simple. Peduncle clothed with many sterile bracts, the lowest broadly ovate-acute, 20-25 mm long, 15 mm broad, thin, rather scarious, many-nerved, gradually smaller upwards. Racemes unicoloured, cylindric-acuminate, 25-35 cm long, the apical buds partly obscured by their longer imbricate bracts, mature flowers laser, cernuous to pendulous. Pedicels the lowest 30 mm long, gradually shorter upwards. Brads lanceolate, the lowest about 20 mm, long, 10 mm broad, basally amplexicaul, spreading to incurved upwards, the margins somewhat involute, thin scarious many-nerved, eventually turning purplish. Perianth somewhat glossy red to reddish-salmon, green tipped, 40 mm long, cylindric-trigonous; outer segments free to base, 3-5-nerved turning greenish at apex; inner segments free and not cohering to the outer, broader than the outer, with broad white marginal border and a keel throughout, the keel reddish low down turning green at apex, the apices more obtuse than the outer. Filaments pale lemon, filiform-flattened, the inner narrower and lengthening in advance of the 3 outer. Anthers the 3 inner and 3 outer in turn exserted 3-5 mm Stigma at length exserted 5 mm. Ovary 7-8 mm long, 3 mm diam., finely 6-grooved, green.

Can be grown by seedlings.