Aloe vandermerwei Reynolds

Species

Angiosperms > Asparagales > Asphodelaceae > Aloe

Characteristics

Plants acaulescent, freely suckering and forming dense groups. Leaves 15-20, rosulate, up to 60 cm long, but only 3.5 cm broad (about 16 times longer than broad), linear, tapering upwards; upper surface flat low down, slightly channelled near apex, dark green, with large dull to distinct whitish elongated.spots arranged more or less in undulating interrupted transverse bands; lower surface convex, paler green, usually distinctly spotted, the spots more confluent and in more pronounced bands than the upper surface; margins sinuate-dentate, armed with firm deltoid pale brownish teeth 3-4 mm long, 10-15 mm distant, the interspaces rounded and the green colour of the leaf. (Leaf sap dries deep purple.) Inflorescence a blanched panicle about 1 met. high. Peduncle rather slender, branched above the middle with 6-10 arcuate-erect branches, the lowest subtended at base by a thin scarious many-nerved bract about 20-25 mm long, 10 mm broad at base. Racemes the terminal 10-20 cm long, rather laxly about 25-flowered, cylindric slightly acuminate, about 7 cm diam., the terminal the highest, the lateral lower shorter and fewer flowered. Bracts deltoid-acuminate, lowest of terminal racemes up to 10 mm long, 3 mm broad, thin scarious brownish 3-5-nerved. Pedicels lowest 10 mm long. Perianth flesh-pink to pale pinkish-red, 30 mm long, with a basal swelling 7-8 mm diam., constricted above the ovary to 5 mm, thence slightly decurved and enlarging towards the throat to 9 mm,, the mouth wide open; outer segments free for 9-10 mm, about 5-nerved, the nerves reddish and confluent at apex, with a broad whitish border 1-l.5 mm broad, the apices sub-acute, slightly spreading; inner segments themselves free but dorsally adnate to the outer for their greater length, broader than the outer, with broader white marginal border and more obtuse more spreading apices. Filaments filiform-flattened, the 3 inner narrower and lengthening in advance of the 3 outer, with their anthers in turn exserted 1-2 mm Stigma at length exserted 2 mm. Ovary 6 mm long, 2-5 mm diam., finely 6-grooved, pale green. Capsule 3 cm long, 1 cm diam.
More
This aloe occurs in dense groups. Leaves are remarkably long (up to 60 cm) relative to their width (3.5 cm), spreading and downwards curved, often twisted and intermingled giving it a snake-like appearance. Leaves are usually distinctly spotted on the lower surface, with spots more confluent and in more pronounced bands than the upper surface. Inflorescences are up to 1 m high and branched from above the middle. Flowers are 30 mm long and flesh-pink, with a 1.0-1.5 mm wide whitish border on the outer perianth segments.
Life form perennial
Growth form herb
Growth support -
Foliage retention -
Sexuality -
Pollination -
Spread -
Mature width (meter) -
Mature height (meter) 1.0
Root system -
Rooting depth (meter) -
Root diameter (meter) -
Flower color
Blooming months -
Fruit color -
Fruiting months -
Nitrogen fixer -
Photosynthetic pathway -

Environment

Light -
Soil humidity -
Soil texture 1-2
Soil acidity -
Soil nutriment -
Hardiness (USDA) -

Usage

Uses -
Edible -
Therapeutic use -
Human toxicity -
Animal toxicity -

Cultivation

Mode -
Germination duration (days) 30 - 180
Germination temperacture (C°) 21
Germination luminosity light
Germination treatment -
Minimum temperature (C°) -
Optimum temperature (C°) -
Size -
Vigor -
Productivity -

Distribution

Aloe vandermerwei world distribution map, present in South Africa

Identifiers

LSID urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:530003-1
WFO ID wfo-0000758963
COL ID C46J
BDTFX ID -
INPN ID -
Wikipedia (EN)
Wikipedia (FR)

Synonyms

Aloe vandermerwei