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

Klopper, Ronell R., Crouch, Neil R., Smith, Gideon F. & van Wyk, Abraham E., 2020, A synoptic review of the aloes (Asphodelaceae, Alooideae) of KwaZulu-Natal, an ecologically diverse province in eastern South Africa, PhytoKeys 142, pp. 1-88 : 1

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

Syn.

Aloe aristata Haw.

Common names.

Guinea-fowl aloe (English); tarentaalaalwyn (Afrikaans); umathithibala (Zulu).

Description.

Acaulescent plants; rosettes solitary or usually suckering to form dense clumps. Leaves densely rosulate, erect to arcuate-incurved, green to grey-green, with several scattered small, white spots, more copiously spotted with spots in more or less transverse bands on lower surface, spots subtuberculate to spinulescent, soft white spines in 1 or 2 rows at apex of keel, narrowly lanceolate to deltoid, tapering to hair-like awn, leaf 8-10 cm long, 1-2 cm wide at base; margin with soft, white, cartilaginous teeth, 1-2 mm long, 1-2 mm apart at mid-leaf. Inflorescence 0.2-0.5 m high, erect, usually 2- to 6-branched, occasionally simple. Racemes subcapitate, 10-20 cm long, rather lax. Floral bracts 11-12 mm long, 4 mm wide. Pedicels 20-35 mm long. Flowers: perianth red on upper surface, paler below, ± 40 mm long, ± 7 mm across ovary, slightly narrowed above ovary, slightly widening towards middle, narrowing at mouth, base somewhat globose, tube slightly decurved; outer segments free for 7 mm; stamens exserted to 1 mm; style exserted 1-2 mm.

Flowering time.

August-October (November).

Habitat.

Wide variety of habitats, including sandy to clayey soils in hot, dry karroid areas, deep shade on humus-rich soil in riverine forest and montane forest and grassland on high mountains in Lesotho.

Diagnostic characters.

Aristaloe aristata can easily be distinguished from other KwaZulu-Natal aloes by being an acaulescent plant with small haworthia-like rosettes (10-15 cm diameter) that sometimes occur solitary, but more often sucker to form dense groups. The leaves (8-10 × 1-2 cm) have numerous, tuberculed, white-spots with long, thin, hair-like tips on both surfaces. The inflorescence (0.2-0.5 m high) is usually 2- to 6-branched or occasionally simple with the peduncle without sterile bracts. Racemes are subcapitate and rather lax. Flowers are tubular and slightly curved ( ± 40 mm long), with a basal swelling around the ovary. The uppermost (dorsal) portion of the pedicel and flower, which receive more sun, are deeper red than the paler lower (ventral) portion. This is the only South African Aloe species that resembles a member of Haworthia Duval when not in flower.

Conservation status.

Least Concern ( Raimondo et al. 2009).

Distribution.

Widespread from Beaufort West (Western Cape) in the central Great Karoo, through the Eastern Cape and eastern Free State to south-western KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa, as well as in Lesotho (Fig. 5 ).

Figures

Figure 5. Aristaloe aristata. Photo: N. R. Crouch.