South African National Biodiversity Institute, Compton Herbarium, Cape Town (SAM)
Collection
Flora of Southern Africa
Resource Type
Reference Sources
Entry From
Flora of South Africa, (2003) Author: Dr J.P. Roux
Names
Aloe gerstneri [family ALOACEAE]
Information
Plants stemless to short-stemmed, 400-700 mm tall excluding inflorescence, solitary. Leaves 20-30, arcuate-erect to arcuate-incurved, lanceolate-ensiform, 400-600 x 60-90 mm, slightly channelled to D-shaped in section, glaucous to dull green, lower surface sometimes with apical median line of few prickles. Inflorescence of very dense, cylindric racemes, 1-3-branched, 1.0-1.3 m tall; bracts narrowly lanceolate, 18-20 x 5-6 mm, ± 5-nerved. Flowers orange in bud, chrome-yellow at flowering, 24-30 mm long, cylindric-ventri-cose, mouth slightly narrowed and upturned; outer segments free for ± half their length, inner segments free but dorsally adnate to outer segments in lower third; pedicels 5-6 mm long. Anthers exserted up to 13 mm. Ovary ±5x3 mm, pale green; style exserted 4-14 mm. Fruit not seen. Flowering time February to March. Figure 22.
Habitat
Differences between this species on the one hand and A. petricola (no. 106) and A. reitzii (no. 107) on the other are discussed under those species. A. aculeata (no. 105) differs from this species in geographical range and flowering time and in having larger flowers and copious prickles on the leaves.
Use
108. Aloe gerstneri Reynolds in Journal of South African Botany 3: 133 (1937c); ReyÂnolds: 454 (1950); Jeppe: 3 (1969); Bornman & D.S.Hardy: 255 (1972); Glen & D.S.Hardy: t. 2008 (1990b); B.-E. van Wyk & G.F.Sm.: 134 (1996). Type: KwaZulu-Natal, Nondweni Bridge, Reynolds 2320 (PRE, holo.!; BOL!).
Range
Aloe gerstneri occurs in rocky grassland in KwaZulu-Natal, in an area of cold winters and reasonably high rainfall. Map 77.
