Aloiampelos gracilis (Haw.) Klopper & Gideon F.sm.

A shrubby plant, branched at ground level, with several erect stems about 2 cm diam., up to 2 met. long, the terminal 30-60 cm laxly foliate, with leaves basally amplexicaul, the internodes (sheaths) faintly pale green striate, 10-15 mm long. Leaves dull green, without spots, not auriculate, not ciliate around the sheathing part, narrowly lanceolate, horizontally spreading, up to 25 cm long, 25 mm broad low down, the upper two-thirds gradually acuminate; upper surface fax low down, slightly canaliculate upwards; lower surface slightly convex; margins with a slightly cartilaginous edge armed with firm white teeth up to 1 mm long, 2-5 mm distant, more crowded low down, becoming obsolescent near apex. Inflorescence simple or 1-2 branched, 2-3 from a stem, 20-30 cm high including the raceme. Peduncle laterally compressed low down, with a few sterile bracts. Racemes cylindrical, slightly conical, about 10 cm long, sublaxly 20-30-flowered, the flowers at length pendulous. Bracts narrowly deltoid-acuminate, 5 mm long, 2-3 mm broad at base. Pedicels 8 mm long. Perianth bright red to scarlet, yellowish at mouth, 40-45 mm long, cylindric slightly trigonous, slightly decurved; outer segments connate into a tube for about 30 mm, the apical 10-12 mm free, with three greenish nerves at apex, apices sub-acute, straight to slightly spreading; inner segments free, not cohering dorsally to the outer, broader than the outer, with thin white edges and three congested orange nerves forming a keel, apices brownish and more obtuse than the outer. Filaments yellow, filiform-flattened, the three inner narrower and lengthening in advance of the three outer. Anthers included, or exserted 1-2 mm Stigma included, sometimes exserted 1-2 mm after pollination. Ovary 5 mm long, 2.5 mm diam. at middle, tapering a little into the style.