Plants almost stemless to arborescent, 1-2 m tall; stems simple. Leaves 20-50, ascending to arcuate-incurved, flat, 400-800 x 80-130 mm, dark green to glaucous green. Inflorescences 2-3(-5) per rosette, 0.6-1.5 m tall, over 50 mm in diameter; bracts ovate-acute, 8-15 x 5-10 mm, 3-5-nerved. Flowers sessile, rose or brownÂish honey-yellow to greenish yellow, 8-20 mm long. Anthers exserted 6-15 mm. Ovary ± 5-6 x 3 mm, orange; style exserted 7-17 mm. Fruit not seen. Flowering time July to August.
Habitat
In this species the peduncle is more or less oblique, while the raceme is erect. There is thus a distinct angle at the base of the raceme. The leaves are flat to D-shaped in section and the flowers are pinkish brown. Plants may be stemÂless or caulescent. In A. spicata (no. 100), the only species with which A. vryheidensis is likeÂly to be confused, the leaves are channelled, the raceme is narrower and the flowers are greenish yellow.
Use
99. Aloe vryheidensis Groenew. in Tyd-skrif vir Wetenskap en Kuns 15: 129 (1937c); Reynolds: 111 (1940b); R.A.Dyer: t. 805 (1941); Reynolds: 428 (1950); Jeppe: 107 (1969); Bornman & D.S.Hardy: 233 (1972); B.-E. van Wyk & G.F.Sm.: 70 (1996). Type: KwaZulu-Natal, Heine near Vryheid, F.Z. van der Merwe 266 (PRE!).
Range
Aloe vryheidensis is found in the Northern Province, Mpumalanga and KwaZulu-Natal, where it usually occurs on alkaline soils derived from shales or dolomite. The entire range of this species falls within the summer-rainfall region, but rainfall amounts and temperatures vary conÂsiderably. Map 70.
