| Aloe pluridens | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Aloe pluridens plants in flower | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Monocots |
| Order: | Asparagales |
| Family: | Asphodelaceae |
| Subfamily: | Asphodeloideae |
| Genus: | Aloe |
| Species: | A. pluridens |
| Binomial name | |
| Aloe pluridens Haw. | |
Aloe pluridens (also known as the French Aloe) is an arborescent aloe indigenous to southern Africa.
This species can occasionally grow up to 6 meters in height. It is usually single-stemmed (however in cultivation conditions it sometimes forms multiple branches). Its thin, recurved, light-green leaves form an elegant and symmetrical spiral in their growth around the rosette. The leaves are lined with large numbers of white teeth (its name "pluri-dens" means "multiple-teeth")
This species is frequently confused with the related species Aloe ferox , Aloe africana and Aloe excelsa . However it has more thin delicate pale green or yellow-green leaves; and a thinner trunk than the other robust arborescent aloe species. Its leaf margins have many small pink-white teeth.
The inflorescence usually branches into a maximum of four uniform-coloured, cone-shaped racemes. The flowers are uncurved, and a pink or dull scarlet colour.
In its multi-branched form, it can also look similar to the smaller multi-branched Aloe arborescens . The French Aloe's flowers are different from all of these other species though, and the spiral leaf-growth is also distinctive. [1]
The French Aloe is found in a wide coastal belt in the Eastern Cape Province of South Africa, from the Kei River mouth to the Humansdorp area. There is also a disjunct group of populations in coastal KwaZulu-Natal.
Here its habitat is often dense succulent thickets. It often grows in association with Aloe ferox , A. africana and A. speciosa , and hybrids can occur. The climate is moderate, without frost, and hot and humid during summers. Rainfall occurs throughout the year, from 600 to 700 mm per annum. [2]
