Asphodelaceae

Aloe L.

First published in Sp. Pl.: 319 (1753)
This genus is accepted
The native range of this genus is Tropical & S. Africa, Madagascar, Jordan to Arabian Peninsula, NW. India.

Descriptions

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

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers
Flowers pedicellate, erect in bud, pendent at anthesis, or secund.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Perianth
Perianth of 3 outer and the 3 inner free or partially fused subequal segments, cylindrical, rarely campanulate, rounded at the base or tapering into the pedicel, sometimes constricted above the ovary, often trigonous, sometimes slightly curved, rarely 2-lipped; segments free towards the apex, imbricate, the outer usually slightly longer than the inner.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Androecium Stamens
Stamens with flattened filaments; anthers oblong, attached towards the base, exserted from the perianth-tube.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Gynoecium Pistil
Ovary ovate-oblong, trigonous, 3-locular, placentation central; style slender, longer than the stamens; stigma capitate, very small.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Capsule held erect, sometimes stipitate, very obtusely 3-angled, subglobose to oblong, papyraceous or slightly woody, dehiscing from the apex.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds
Seeds many, in 2 longitudinal rows in each locule, 3-angled, sometimes obscurely so, the angles extended into papery wings with 2 wings distinctly longer than the third.
Morphology General Habit
Perennial, acaulescent or caulescent herbs, shrubs or trees, solitary (not forming basal offshoots) or suckering (forming basal offshoots) to produce dense clumps or loose groups of plants.
Morphology Roots
Roots thickened.
Morphology Leaves
Leaves crowded spirally into rosettes, occasionally distichous especially in young plants, usually noticeably succulent, with colourless or often yellow, brown or purple, sometimes pungent and then sometimes poisonous sap; lamina linear, lanceolate or deltoid; base sheathing; apex usually spine-tipped; margin with spine-tipped teeth, or sometimes cartilaginous or ciliate, rarely entire; surface glabrous, smooth or roughened, sometimes the lower or both surfaces spiny, uniformly green, or often white-spotted, sometimes striated.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Inflorescence pedunculate with flowers lax to compact in 1–several terminal and axillary, simple or paniculately arranged racemes; inflorescence stalk (peduncle) stout, flattened at the base, with branches, when present, usually from ± the middle and above, naked or with sterile bracts below the racemes; racemes capitate to long-cylindrical; bracts scarious, rarely leaf-like.
[FZ]

George R. Proctor (2012). Flora of the Cayman Isands (Second Edition). Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew

Morphology General Habit
Succulent herbs with basal leaves, or else with a woody caudex more or less well developed (a few species become large branching trees)
Morphology Leaves
Leaves rosulate or rarely distichous, fleshy, with toothed margins, containing bitter sap that turns black on exposure or drying.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Inflorescence axillary, racemose or paniculate from a naked scapose base; flowers usually nodding; perianth a cylindric tube, the lobes coherent except at the spreading or recurved tips, often brightly colored
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Gynoecium Ovary
Ovary sessile, ovoid to oblong, usually 3-angled, the style filiform with a small capitate stigma
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Fruit a coriaceous, dehiscent capsule; seeds numerous, flattened, black.
Distribution
A genus of more than 300 species, chiefly occurring in Africa and Madagascar.
[Cayman]

M. Thulin et al. Flora of Somalia Vol. 1-4 [updated 2008] https://plants.jstor.org/collection/FLOS

Morphology General Habit
Perennial herbs, shrubs or trees
Morphology Leaves
Leaves glabrous, sinuate-dentate to spiny at the margins, rarely entire
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Inflorescences terminal or lateral, simple or branched, with racemes capitate to long cylindrical
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Perianth
Flowers with tubular straight or ± curved perianth
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Tepal
Tepals about equal in length, usually united in their lower part
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Androecium Stamens
Stamens often ± exserted
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Gynoecium Ovary
Ovary oblong to subglobose, with numerous ovules in two rows within each cell; style filiform, usually longer than the stamens; stigma capitate, small
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Capsule papery to almost woody
Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds
Seeds irregularly triangular to flattened, usually narrowly winged.
Distribution
Over 550 species in Africa south of the Sahara, Madagascar, and in southern Arabia.
[FSOM]

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

Morphology General Habit
Perennial herbs, with fleshy roots from an underground “bulb” formed by the expanded bases of spirally arranged leaves.
Morphology Leaves
Leaves linear and grass-like, fleshy, becoming jointed shortly above the base, the upper part deciduous; margins with minute cartilaginous teeth.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Inflorescence pedunculate, simple, erect, with flowers in a lax raceme; peduncle with numerous sterile bracts below the raceme; bracts membranous, ovate-acuminate; pedicels short.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Perianth
Perianth segments subequal, fused in the lower part and variously cohering to form an oblong-cylindrical tube; perianth limb 2-lipped, tips of the upper 3 segments straight, tips of the lower 3 segments usually slightly recurved.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Androecium Stamens
Stamens and stigma shorter than the tube.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Gynoecium Pistil
The style gradually merging into the ovary; stigma capitate.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Capsule oblong-conical, 3-celled.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds
Seeds with angles narrowly winged.
[FZ]

Sources

  • Flora Zambesiaca

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

  • Flora of Somalia

    • Flora of Somalia
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0

  • Flora of West Tropical Africa

    • Flora of West Tropical Africa

  • Flora of the Cayman Islands

    • Flora of the Cayman Islands
    • 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.

  • Interactive Key to Seed Plants of Malesia and Indo-China

    • The Malesian Key Group (2010) Interactive Key to Seed Plants of Malesia and Indo-China (Version 2.0, 28 Jul 2010) The Nationaal Herbarium Nederland Leiden and The Royal Botanic Gardens Kew

  • Kew Backbone Distributions

    • The International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants 2025. Published on the Internet at http://www.ipni.org and https://powo.science.kew.org/
    • © Copyright 2023 World Checklist of Vascular Plants. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0

  • Kew Names and Taxonomic Backbone

    • The International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants 2025. Published on the Internet at http://www.ipni.org and https://powo.science.kew.org/
    • © Copyright 2023 International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0

  • Plants and People Africa

    • Common Names from Plants and People Africa http://www.plantsandpeopleafrica.com/
    • © Plants and People Africa http://www.plantsandpeopleafrica.com http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/