Aloe prinslooi I.Verd. & D.S.Hardy, 1965

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

E Aloe prinslooi I.Verd. & D.S.Hardy

Common names.

Spotted aloe (English); bontaalwyn (Afrikaans).

Description.

Acaulescent plants, 0.15-0.25 m high; rosettes usually solitary, erect. Leaves rosulate, suberect to spreading, light green, with white, oblong spots, denser on upper surface, occasionally arranged in transverse bands, shortly deltoid, 14-20 cm long, 4-8 cm wide; margin with pungent brown teeth, ± 4 mm long, 5-7 mm apart; exudate clear. Inflorescence up to 0.6 m high, erect, 2- to 5-branched above middle. Racemes corymbose-capitate, 6-12 cm long, 6-7 cm wide, dense. Floral bracts 15-30 mm long, 3-5 mm wide. Pedicels 12-30 mm long. Flowers: perianth pale whitish-green, tinged with pale to deep pink, 13-17 mm long, sometimes slightly narrowing above ovary, widening towards slightly upturned mouth, cylindrical; outer segments free for 5-7 mm; stamens exserted 0-1 mm; style slightly or not exserted.

Flowering time.

June-October.

Habitat.

Dense grass understorey of open woodland in KwaZulu-Natal midlands on thin soil. More rarely in open, rocky outcrops. Rainfall relatively low, summers hot and winters very cold.

Diagnostic characters.

Aloe prinslooi can be distinguished from other maculate aloes in KwaZulu-Natal ( Aloe dewetii , Aloe maculata subsp. maculata , Aloe mudenensis , Aloe parvibracteata , Aloe pruinosa , Aloe suffulta , Aloe umfoloziensis , Aloe vanrooyenii and Aloe viridiana ) by its short, 2- to 5-branched inflorescence (up to 0.6 m high) with almost spherical, very dense racemes (6-12 × 6-7 cm) of creamish to pinkish-white flowers (up to 17 mm long) that lack the distinctive globose basal swelling typical of the maculate aloes. Pedicels are 12-30 mm long. Leaves are suberect to spreading, 14-20 × 4-8 cm and spotted on both surfaces, with the spots being denser on the upper surface. Marginal teeth are ± 4 mm long.

Conservation status.

Endangered. Threats include trampling by livestock and too frequent fires. In the past, populations were negatively impacted by illegal collecting ( Raimondo et al. 2009, L. von Staden pers. comm.).

Distribution.

Limited to an area near Colenso in the KwaZulu-Natal midlands, South Africa (Fig. 34 ).

Figures

Figure 34. Aloe prinslooi. Photo: P. Joffe.