Aloe thompsoniae Groenew.

Plant small, succulent, with fusiform roots. Stem none or very short, branching and suckering freely at ground level, and forming small dense groups. Leaves 12-18, rosulate-multifarious, erectly spreading to recurved, gradually attenuate from the base, 15-20 cm long, about 15 mm broad at base; upper surface canaliculate, obscurely lineate, with a few scattered white elongated spots in lower third; lower surface convex, copiously white spotted near base; the spots more circular than those on upper surface; margins with a cartilaginous edge armed with firm white teeth about 1 mm long, 1-2 mm distant. Inflorescence simple, up to 20 cm high, 1-3 from a rosette. Peduncle semi-terete, 4 mm diam., with a few ovate-acuminate sub-amplexicaul sterile bracts from above the middle, the sterile bracts thin, scarious white, up to 15 mm, long, 7 mm broad at base, 3-5-nerved. Raceme pyramidal-capitate, 3-4 cm long, 4-5 cm broad, 10-15-flowered, the open flowers pendulous, coral red, the buds green tipped. Pedicels 15-20 mm long, shorter upwards. Bracts ovate-acuminate, about 10 mm long, 5-6 mm broad at base, thin, dry, 5-8-nerved. Perianth 25-28 mm long, slightly stipitate at base, cylindrical, straight, with wide open trigonous mouth; outer segments free to base, obscurely 3-5-nerved, the nerves greenish at the sub-acute spreading apices; inner segments free to base, slightly longer, and with apices more obtuse and more recurved than the outer, with a salmon-pink keel turning green at apex. Filaments filiform-flattened, the 3 inner narrower and lengthening in advance of the 3 outer. Anthers and Stigma not exserted. Ovary pale lemon-yellow, 5 mm long, finely 6-grooved.