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 monotropa [family ALOACEAE]
Information
Plants 200-300 mm tall excluding infloresÂcence, stemless or short-stemmed; stem usually prostrate, solitary or suckering to form small groups. Leaves ± 20 per rosette, spreading, 340^400 x 45-60 mm, slightly channelled, narÂrowed towards base, upper surface with lines and irregular pale green spots, lower surface lin-eate and more distinctly spotted. Inflorescence with ±11 ultimate branches; racemes secund, sublax, cylindric; bracts narrowly deltoid-acuminate, 6.0-8.0 x 1.0-2.5 mm, 3-nerved. Flowers old rose, rarely yellow, 22-30 mm long, subclavate; outer segments free for 5-7 mm, inner segments dorsally adnate to outer in lower half; pedicels 7-11 mm long. Anthers not or hardly exserted. Ovary ± 5.0 x 1.5 mm, green; style exserted up to 2 mm. Fruit ± 15-20 x 11 mm, dark grey-brown. Seeds ± 3.0 x 1.5 x 1.0 mm, narrowly winged, almost black. Flowering time November to December. Figure 9.
Habitat
The secund racemes of this species are unique in section Pictae, and recall section 21, Ortholophae. However, the spotted leaves and basal inflation of the flower make it quite clear that this species belongs to this section. The spots on the leaves are more irregularly arÂranged than in any other species in this section except A. angolensis (no. 57).
Use
59. Aloe monotropa I.Verd. in The Flowering Plants of Africa 34: t. 1342 (1961a); Jeppe: 101 (1969); Bornman & D.S.Hardy: 93 (1972); D.S.Hardy: 511 (1974); B.E. van Wyk & G.F.Sm.: 208 (1996). Type: Northern Province, Dublin Mine, Smuts 1560 (PRE!).
Range
Aloe monotropa grows on rocky slopes on the lateral mountain chains associated with the escarpment in the Northern Province. It occurs in deep shade to semishade in forests and on forest margins, in an area of very high, mostly summer rainfall. Map 43.
