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  1. Family: Asphodelaceae Juss.
    1. Genus: Aloe L.

      1. Aloe arborescens Mill.

        This species is accepted, and its native range is S. Tropical & S. Africa.

    [FZ]

    Aloaceae, S. Kativu. Flora Zambesiaca 12:3. 2001

    Habit
    Shrub 3–5 m high.
    Stem
    Stem to 30 cm in diameter, branching at or near the base, much branched above; stem and branches usually covered with persistent dried leaf remains.
    Leaves
    Leaves in a dense rosette at the apex of each branch, spreading becoming recurved; lamina up to 60 cm long, 5–7 cm wide at the base, lanceolate-attenuate, greyish-green, without spots, tinged reddish in dry conditions; margin with firm forward-pointing yellow deltoid teeth 3–5 mm long and 10–15 mm apart.
    Inflorescences
    Inflorescences 1–4 from each rosette, erect, up to c. 60 cm tall; peduncle simple or rarely with one short branch, with a few sterile bracts below the raceme. Raceme 20–40 × c. 10 cm, cylindric-acuminate, very densely flowered, the buds covered by the bracts; bracts 15–20 × 10–12 mm, broadly ovate, scarious, brown, many-nerved; pedicels 30–40 mm long.
    Perianth
    Perianth bright orange-scarlet, paler towards the mouth, green-tipped in bud, 35–40 mm long, c. 7 mm in diameter across the ovary, cylindric-trigonous; outer segments free to the base, tips scarcely spreading.
    Reproductive morphology
    Stamens and stigma exserted c. 5 mm.
    Fruits
    Capsule 17–18 × 7 mm, oblong-ovoid, yellowish-brown.
    Seeds
    Seeds 1.75 × 3.5 mm, black with very narrow, whitish wings.

    Images

    Distribution

    Native to:

    Botswana, Cape Provinces, Free State, KwaZulu-Natal, Malawi, Mozambique, Northern Provinces, Swaziland, Zimbabwe

    Introduced into:

    Algeria, Baleares, Canary Is., Caroline Is., France, Korea, Madeira, Marshall Is., Mexico Central, Mexico Southwest, Morocco, New South Wales, Portugal, South Australia, Spain, Tunisia

    Aloe arborescens Mill. appears in other Kew resources:

    Date Reference Identified As Barcode Type Status
    Jan 1, 1990 Cholocholo, Aubrey [22], Malawi K000210345
    Feb 10, 1987 Chase, N.C. [6886], Zimbabwe K000210365
    Feb 10, 1987 Leach, L.C. [12875], Zimbabwe K000210363
    Feb 10, 1987 Brummitt, R.K. [11232], Malawi K000210348
    Feb 10, 1987 Brummitt, R.K. [9724], Malawi K000210349
    Feb 10, 1987 Brummitt, R.K. [9724], Malawi K000210350
    Feb 10, 1987 Chapman, J.D. [5792], Malawi K000210355
    Feb 10, 1987 Blackmore, S. [407], Malawi K000210356
    Feb 5, 1987 Reynolds, G.W. [6698], Malawi K000210346
    Feb 5, 1987 Mogg, A.O.D. [1026], Mozambique K000210367
    Feb 5, 1987 Mogg, A.O.D. [1026], Mozambique K000210366
    Feb 5, 1987 Richards, H.M. [16637], Malawi K000210354
    May 6, 1985 Richards, H.M. [16785], Malawi K000210351
    May 6, 1985 Schäfer, P.A. [6747], Mozambique K000210357
    4352.000
    Brass, L.J. [16525], Malawi K000210353
    Brummitt, R.K. [10091], Malawi K000210347
    Miller, O.B. [2926], Zimbabwe K000210364
    Carter [2704], Zimbabwe K000210362
    Carter [2704], Zimbabwe K000210361
    Richards, H.M. [16594], Malawi K000210352
    Torre, A.R. [5390], Mozambique K000210359
    Torre, A.R. [5390], Mozambique K000210360
    Groenendijk, E.M.C. [2025], Mozambique K000210358
    Wood, M [4342] K000400924 Unknown type material
    Patel, H. [7253], Mozambique K000545214
    Timberlake, J. [5435], Mozambique K000614420
    Timberlake, J. [5435], Mozambique K000524264

    First published in Gard. Dict. ed. 8: n.º 3 (1768)

    Accepted by

    • Rico, E. & al. (eds.) in Castroviejo, S. & al. (eds.) (2013). Flora Iberica 20: 1-651. Real Jardín Botánico, CSIC, Madrid.
    • Carter, S., Lavranos, J.J., Newton, L.E. & Walker, C.C. (2011). Aloes. The definitive guide: 1-720. Kew Publishing, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.
    • Dobignard, D. & Chatelain, C. (2010). Index synonymique de la flore d'Afrique du nord 1: 1-455. Éditions des conservatoire et jardin botaniques, Genève.
    • Klopper, R.R., Retief, E. & Smith, G.F. (2009). The genus Aloe L. (Asphodelaceae: Alooideae) in the Free State province of South Africa Haseltonia. Yearbook of the Cactus and Succulent Society of America 14: 41-52.
    • Smith, G.F., Klopper, R.R. & Crouch, N.R. (2008). Aloe arborescens (Asphodelaceae: Alooideae) and CITES Haseltonia. Yearbook of the Cactus and Succulent Society of America 14: 189-198.
    • Strugnell, A.M. (2006). A checklist of the Spermatophytes of Mt. Mulanje, Malawi Scripta Botanica Belgica 34: 1-199.
    • Albano, P.-O. (2003). La Conaissance des Plantes Exotiques: 1-324. Édisud, Aix-en-Provence.
    • Germishuizen, G. & Meyer, N.L. (eds.) (2003). Plants of Southern Africa: an annotated checklist. Strelitzia 14.: i-vi, 1-1231. National Botanical Institute, Pretoria.
    • Pope, G.V. (ed.) (2001). Flora Zambesiaca 12(3): 1-106. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.
    • Lee, W.T. (1996). Lineamenta Florae Koreae: 1-1688. Soul T'ukpyolsi: Ak'ademi Sojok.
    • Govaerts, R. (1995). World Checklist of Seed Plants 1(1, 2): 1-483, 1-529. MIM, Deurne.
    • Espejo Serena, A. & López-Ferrari, A.R. (1993). Las Monocotiledóneas Mexicanas una Sinopsis Florística 1(2): 1-70. Consejo Nacional de la Flora de México, México D.F.
    • Fosberg, F.R., Sachet, M.-H., Oliver, R. (1987). A Geographical Checklist of the Micronesian Monocotyledonae Micronesica; Journal of the College of Guam 20: 19-129.
    • George, A.S. (ed.) (1986). Flora of Australia 46: 1-247. Australian Government Publishing Service, Canberra.
    • Maire, R. (1958). Flore de l'Afrique du Nord 5: 1-307. Paul Lechevalier, Paris.

    Literature

    Kew Backbone Distributions
    • Rico, E. & al. (eds.) in Castroviejo, S. & al. (eds.) (2013). Flora Iberica 20: 1-651. Real Jardín Botánico, CSIC, Madrid.
    • Klopper, R.R., Retief, E. & Smith, G.F. (2009). The genus Aloe L. (Asphodelaceae: Alooideae) in the Free State province of South Africa Haseltonia. Yearbook of the Cactus and Succulent Society of America 14: 41-52.
    • Smith, G.F., Klopper, R.R. & Crouch, N.R. (2008). Aloe arborescens (Asphodelaceae: Alooideae) and CITES Haseltonia. Yearbook of the Cactus and Succulent Society of America 14: 189-198.
    • Strugnell, A.M. (2006). A checklist of the Spermatophytes of Mt. Mulanje, Malawi Scripta Botanica Belgica 34: 1-199.
    • Germishuizen, G. & Meyer, N.L. (eds.) (2003). Plants of Southern Africa: an annotated checklist. Strelitzia 14.: i-vi, 1-1231. National Botanical Institute, Pretoria.
    • Lee, W.T. (1996). Lineamenta Florae Koreae: 1-1688. Soul T'ukpyolsi: Ak'ademi Sojok.
    • Espejo Serena, A. & López-Ferrari, A.R. (1993). Las Monocotiledóneas Mexicanas una Sinopsis Florística 1(2): 1-70. Consejo Nacional de la Flora de México, México D.F.
    • Fosberg, F.R., Sachet, M.-H., Oliver, R. (1987). A Geographical Checklist of the Micronesian Monocotyledonae Micronesica; Journal of the College of Guam 20: 19-129.
    • George, A.S. (ed.) (1986). Flora of Australia 46: 1-247. Australian Government Publishing Service, Canberra.
    • Maire, R. (1958). Flore de l'Afrique du Nord 5: 1-307. Paul Lechevalier, Paris.

    Sources

    Art and Illustrations in Digifolia
    Digital Image © Board of Trustees, RBG Kew http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

    Flora Zambesiaca
    Flora Zambesiaca
    http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0

    Herbarium Catalogue Specimens
    'The Herbarium Catalogue, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Published on the Internet http://www.kew.org/herbcat [accessed on Day Month Year]'. Please enter the date on which you consulted the system.
    Digital Image © Board of Trustees, RBG Kew http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

    Kew Backbone Distributions
    The International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Selected Plant Families 2019. Published on the Internet at http://www.ipni.org and http://apps.kew.org/wcsp/
    © Copyright 2017 World Checklist of Selected Plant Families. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0

    Kew Names and Taxonomic Backbone
    The International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Selected Plant Families 2019. Published on the Internet at http://www.ipni.org and http://apps.kew.org/wcsp/
    © Copyright 2017 International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Selected Plant Families. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0

    Kew Science Photographs
    Digital Image © Board of Trustees, RBG Kew http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/