Aloe arenicola

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Aloe arenicola
Namaqualand Sand Aloes - Aloe arenicola.jpg
Scientific classification Red Pencil Icon.png
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]

Contents

Distribution

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.

Appearance

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]

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<i>Gonialoe dinteri</i> species of plant in the family Asphodelaceae

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<i>Gonialoe sladeniana</i> Species of flowering plant

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<i>Calandrinia balonensis</i> Species of plant

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<i>Astroloba rubriflora</i> Species of flowering plant

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<i>Aloiampelos commixta</i> species of plant in the family Asphodelaceae

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<i>Aloe perfoliata</i> Species of succulent

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<i>Aloiampelos</i> Genus of succulent flowering plants

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<i>Aloe petricola</i> Species of succulent

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.

<i>Aloe brevifolia</i> Species of succulent

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<i>Aloe pearsonii</i> Species of succulent

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<i>Aloe <span style="font-style:normal;">ser.</span> Mitriformes</i> Group of succulents

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References

  1. aloe-arenicola.php
  2. "Aloe arenicola".
  3. "Aloe perfoliata".