Aristaloe aristata (Haw.) Boatwr. & J.C.Manning

Plants acaulescent, rarely solitary, usually in dense compact groups of up to 12 rosettes, the rosettes 10-15 cm diam. Leaves 100-150, densely multifarious, 8-10 cm long, 10-15 mm broad at base, arenate-incurved, rather narrowly lanceolate and tapering to a long dry awn, the awns densely tufted at their apices: upper surface flat, green, with several scattered small white spots, the spots sub-tuberculate lower down becoming sub-spinulescent to spinulescent near apex; lower surface convex, green, more copiously white spotted, the spots sometimes arranged in more or less transverse bands, and with several soft white spines forming one or two rows in median line near apex; margins armed with soft white cartilaginous teeth 1-2 mm long, 1-2 mm distant, shorter nearer base, longer upwards. Inflorescence occasionally simple, usually 2-6 branched from about the middle, about 50 cm high. Racemes 15-20 cm long, 12-15 cm diam., rather laxly 20-30-flowered, the flowers Jasper Red (R.C.S.) on upper outer surface, much paler underneath. Bracts lowest about one-third the length of their pedicels. Pedicels lowest up to 35 mm long, spreading sub-obliquely, redder above, paler underneath. Perianth 40 mm long, somewhat globose and 7 mm diam. at base, slightly trigonously constricted above ovary to 6 mm diam., thence slightly decurved and enlarging towards the throat; outer segments free for 7 mm, greenish brown, about 3-nerved, the apices sub-acute, slightly spreading: inner segments dorsally adnate to the outer for their greater length, the free portion broader than the outer; with a keel; the apices more obtuse and more spreading. Filaments slightly flattened, pale rose, the 3 inner narrower and lengthening in advance of the 3 outer. Anthers exserted up to 1 mm Stigma at length exserted 1-2 mm. Ovary 8 mm long, 2-5 mm diam., olive green.