Aloe arenicola | |
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Scientific classification | |
Kingdom: | Plantae |
Clade: | Tracheophytes |
Clade: | Angiosperms |
Clade: | Monocots |
Order: | Asparagales |
Family: | Asphodelaceae |
Subfamily: | Asphodeloideae |
Genus: | Aloe |
Species: | A. arenicola |
Binomial name | |
Aloe arenicola | |
Aloe arenicola (the sand aloe or Bont-Ot'korrie) is a spotted creeping aloe, indigenous to the arid west coast of South Africa. [1]
The name "arenicola" means "inhabitant of sands" in Latin, as this tough aloe is naturally restricted to the sandy dune areas that run in a narrow strip along the South African west coast, from Lamberts Bay in the south, up to the Namibian border in the north. This coastal strip lies within the Namaqualand, an arid winter-rainfall area. During the severest droughts, the plants get all the moisture they require from the mists that sweep up from the sea.
Adapted as they are for arid, sandy, winter-rainfall desert, their roots and stems tend to rot when they are propagated in wet climates. Nonetheless, the distinctive colour and markings of this aloe have made it a popular ornamental in xeriscaping and it is widely grown for dry gardens.
This aloe is a dark blue-green colour with narrow leaves that are covered in small white spots and rimmed with white teeth. Like most aloes, they turn a reddish colour when they are under stress from drought. The plant tends to ramble along the ground, never growing higher than about 70 cm. Orange-red flowers appear on multi-branched racemes in the mid-summer.
Like many aloes, Aloe arenicola changes its growth form as it ages. Young plants produce long, slender stems with small, widely spaced leaves. Older plants develop thicker, wider rosettes, with densely packed leaves clustered around the rosette. The rest of the stem then tends to lose its leaves. [2]
The Sand Aloe is part of a group of very closely related "Creeping Aloes"(Mitriformes), including the widespread and variable Aloe perfoliata , as well as rarer species such as the unusual Aloe pearsonii and the rock-hanging Aloe meyeri and Aloe dabernorisana . [3]
Aloe, also written Aloë, is a genus containing over 550 species of flowering succulent plants. The most widely known species is Aloe vera, or "true aloe". It is called this because it is cultivated as the standard source for assorted pharmaceutical purposes. Other species, such as Aloe ferox, are also cultivated or harvested from the wild for similar applications.
Gonialoe variegata, also known as tiger aloe and partridge-breasted aloe, is a species of flowering plant in the family Asphodelaceae. It is an evergreen succulent perennial indigenous to South Africa and Namibia. It is common in cultivation.
Gasteria is a genus of succulent plants, native to South Africa.
Stylidium repens, the matted triggerplant, is a dicotyledonous plant that belongs to the genus Stylidium. S. repens is endemic to Australia and is found primarily in southwest Western Australia. This species is a creeping or scrambling triggerplant, which can spread over large areas as a tangled mat of stems and aerial roots. The older stems are grey whereas younger stems appear red and have terminal rosettes of small leaves, five mm to one cm in length. When the rains come, new roots and a one to three flowers emerge from the terminal rosettes. This is the only species of triggerplant known to regularly flower twice a year—in autumn and late spring. Pollination, which is typically very specialized in this genus, is achieved with a variety of insects in this species.
Gonialoe dinteri, the Namibian partridge aloe, is a species of flowering plant in the Asphodelaceae family. It is native to arid areas of Angola and Namibia.
Gonialoe sladeniana is a species of plant in the genus Gonialoe. It is endemic to arid areas of central Namibia.
Calandrinia balonensis is a succulent plant native to arid and semi-arid regions of Australia.
Astroloba rubriflora is a succulent plant found in the mountainous Karoo area around Robertson, South Africa. It is listed as a Vulnerable species on the IUCN global Red List.
Aloe africana is an arborescent species of aloe plant, indigenous to the Eastern Cape Province, South Africa.
Aloiampelos commixta is a flowering plant in the Asphodelaceae family. It is commonly called Table Mountain aloe, and is a rare succulent plant that is endemic to the Cape Peninsula, South Africa. It naturally occurs only on the Table Mountain range, within the city of Cape Town.
Aloe perfoliata, the rubble aloe or mitre aloe, is a hardy creeping aloe, found in rocky, mountainous areas throughout the Western Cape, South Africa.
Aloiampelos, formerly Aloe ser. Macrifoliae is a genus of succulent plants in the subfamily Asphodeloideae, comprising seven species found in Southern Africa. They are typically multi-branched climbing or sprawling shrubs, with long spindly stems and a large woody base on the ground. These characteristics, as well as their soft, narrow, triangular leaves whose lower part ensheathes the stem, make them easy to distinguish.
Aloe petricola belongs to the genus Aloe in the family Asphodelaceae, and is commonly known as a stone aloe. This particular aloe is a flowering species with unique and distinct inflorescences, which make the plant easy to identify and distinguish from other Aloe plants. Aloe petricola is very popular for gardening because of its beautiful and radiant colors. Like many Aloe species, Aloe petricola is used for medical purposes, as it aids in healing wounds and minor burns.
Aloe brevifolia, the short-leaved aloe, is a species of flowering plant in the family Asphodelaceae. It is a tiny, compact, blue-green evergreen succulent perennial, that is native to the Western Cape, South Africa. Listed as Vulnerable on IUCN's global Red List, it is threatened in its natural habitat, but is also widely popular as an ornamental plant in rockeries and desert gardens worldwide. As it requires winter heat, in temperate regions it is grown under glass or as a houseplant.
Aloe pearsonii is a very distinctive and unusual species of aloe, that is naturally endemic to the arid Richtersveld area on the border between South Africa and Namibia.
Aloe ser. Mitriformes is a taxonomic series within the genus Aloe, comprising several closely related species of Southern African rambling aloe. These typically multi-branched sprawling aloe species have rigid fleshy leaves and slender pedicels about the length of the perianth, each being roughly 40 mm long. The stems tend to sprawl along the ground, with the ends densely leafed and upturned.
Aloe pluridens is an arborescent aloe indigenous to southern Africa.
Aloe rupestris is an arborescent aloe indigenous to summer-rainfall areas of southern Africa.
Aloeae is a tribe of succulent plants in the subfamily Asphodeloideae of the family Asphodelaceae, consisting of the aloes and their close relatives. The taxon may also be treated as the subfamily Alooideae by those botanists who retain the narrower circumscription of Asphodelaceae adopted prior to the APG III system. Typically, plants have rosettes of more or less succulent leaves, with or without a distinct stem. Their flowers are arranged in racemes and tend to be either small and pale, pollinated by insects, or larger and more brightly coloured, pollinated by birds. As of 2017, 11 genera are recognized, most created since 2010 by splitting off another five genera from Aloe and another two from Haworthia. Only two genera, Aloe and Aloidendron, are native outside southern Africa, extending northwards to the Arabian Peninsula. Seven genera are restricted to South Africa, some with small ranges. Members of the Aloeae are cultivated by succulent plant enthusiasts; Aloe species especially are used in temperate climates as ornamental garden plants. Some species are used in traditional medicine. Aloe vera and Aloe ferox are cultivated for their extracts, whose uses include moisturizers and emollients in cosmetics.
Tephrosia arenicola is a plant in the Fabaceae family, native to the north of Western Australia. The species has no synonyms.
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