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 suffulta [family ALOACEAE]
Information
Plants solitary, short-stemmed; stems up to 200 mm long with distinct internodes. Leaves ± 16, sheathing at base, blade narrowly deltoid, spreading to recurved, 300-500 x 20-40 mm, green with many dull white spots. Inflorescence a climbing panicle, 1.75-2.25 m long; racemes lax, cylindric; bracts deltoid, 5-7 x 2-4 mm, ± 7-nerved. Flowers reddish, mouth whitish, 18-35 mm long; outer segments free for 3-7 mm, inner segments mostly dorsally adnate to outer; pedicels 5-9 mm long. Anthers exserted 1-6 mm. Ovary 5.0-6.0 x 2.0-3.5 mm, green; style exserted 1-8 mm. Fruit not seen. Flowering time June to July.
Habitat
Plants of A. suffulta, unlike those of A. chabaudii (no. 80), are climbing and solitary, with distinct internodes between the copiously spotted recurved leaves. The inflorescence is 1.5-2.25 m tall and climbing, as the peduncle is too thin to support itself. This species is one of the most distinctive in the whole genus.
The type locality of this species is in thorny scrub on consolidated beach dunes. It occurs on sand with loose humus or on black cotton soil in very hot places in KwaZulu-Natal; also in Mozambique and Zimbabwe. It is very susceptible to cold. Map 55.
