| Aloe rupestris | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Aloe rupestris with its typical tall, multi-branched, "bottle-brush" inflorescence | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Monocots |
| Order: | Asparagales |
| Family: | Asphodelaceae |
| Subfamily: | Asphodeloideae |
| Genus: | Aloe |
| Species: | A. rupestris |
| Binomial name | |
| Aloe rupestris | |
| Synonyms | |
Aloe nitensBaker [2] | |
Aloe rupestris (known as the Bottlebrush Aloe) is an arborescent aloe indigenous to summer-rainfall areas of southern Africa.
The Bottlebrush Aloe gets its common name from its distinctive and showy flowers. The large candelabra inflorescences grow tall above the rosette. The numerous racemes on each inflorescence are straight, upright and cylindrical. The individual flowers begin as tight yellow buds that are packed densely on the racemes. When they open, bright reddish stamens extend far out, and give each raceme a fluffy "bottlebrush" look.
It is a very fast-growing aloe, which is usually single-stemmed in nature - though clumping, off-setting varieties seem to occur in cultivation. It grows extremely tall and its trunk is relatively thin, compared to other arborescent aloes. Therefore, especially tall plants sometimes fall over when they do not have support (in their natural habitat, they tend to grow among rocks and thickets, which provide support).
The thin, partially recurved, spreading leaves form a dense rosette at the growth head of adult plants. They are smooth, dull green, deeply grooved (U shaped in cross-section) and have reddish-brown margins and slightly hooked teeth.
This species is frequently confused with the related Aloe thraskii , Aloe marlothii , Aloe ferox , Aloe speciosa , Aloe pluridens and Aloe excelsa species (among others) which have similar growth forms. However the inflorescence of the "Bottlebrush aloe" is distinctive, and its growth form is nonetheless recognisable. The flowers of Aloe excelsa have sloping or curved racemes, while Aloe thraskii has leaves that are more robust and strongly recurved. [3] [4]
Aloe rupestris occurs naturally across the south-eastern summer-rainfall areas of Kwazulu-Natal Province, South Africa, as well as Eswatini (Swaziland) and southern Mozambique.
Within this range, it favours rocky areas in bushveld, sandy coastal forest, and hilly areas where it occurs on rocky ridges and slopes (the species name "rupestris" means "of rocky places" in Latin). [5]
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.
Aloe polyphylla, the spiral aloe, kroonaalwyn, lekhala kharetsa, or many-leaved aloe, is a species of flowering plant in the genus Aloe that is endemic to the Kingdom of Lesotho in the Drakensberg mountains. An evergreen succulent perennial, it is well known for its strikingly symmetrical, five-pointed spiral growth habit.
Aloe marlothii is a large, single-stemmed Southern African aloe of rocky places and open flat country, occasionally growing up to 6m tall.
Aloidendron pillansii, formerly Aloe pillansii, the giant quiver tree or bastard quiver tree, is a large, branching species of succulent plant indigenous to southern Africa. It is regarded as critically endangered.
Gonialoe sladeniana is a species of plant in the genus Gonialoe. It is endemic to arid areas of central Namibia.
Aloe excelsa is an arborescent aloe indigenous to southern Africa.
Aloe ferox, commonly known as bitter aloe, is a species of flowering plant in the family Asphodelaceae. This woody aloe is indigenous to southern Africa. It is one of several Aloe species used to make bitter aloes, a purgative medication, and also yields a non-bitter gel that can be used in cosmetics.
Aloe africana is an arborescent species of aloe plant, indigenous to the Eastern Cape Province, South Africa.
Aloe thraskii, the dune aloe, is a South African plant in the genus Aloe.
Aloiampelos striatula, formerly Aloe striatula, the hardy aloe or striped-stemmed aloe, is a sturdy succulent plant that naturally occurs on the summits of mountains along the south of the Karoo region of South Africa. Tough and hardy, with bright yellow flowers, it is also cultivated as a garden ornamental.
Aloiampelos tenuior, formerly Aloe tenuior, the fence aloe, is a bushy, multi-branched succulent plant from the grasslands and thickets of the Eastern Cape, Kwazulu Natal and Mpumalanga, South Africa. Its preferred habitat is sandy soils in open country, unlike many of its relatives that favour thicket vegetation. It is one of the most profusely flowering of all aloes and their relatives.
Aloe arenicola is a spotted creeping aloe, indigenous to the arid west coast of South Africa.
Aloe pluridens is an arborescent aloe indigenous to southern Africa.
Aloe speciosa is a species of flowering plant in the Asphodelaceae family. It is commonly called tilt-head aloe and is an arborescent aloe indigenous to the thicket vegetation of the southern Cape Provinces of South Africa.
Gasteria nitida, the Bathurst gasteria, is a succulent plant, native to the Eastern Cape grasslands of South Africa.
Aloe tormentorii is a species of Aloe endemic to the island of Mauritius, in the Indian Ocean.
Aloe purpurea is a species of Aloe endemic to the island of Mauritius, in the Indian Ocean, where it formerly occurred on dry rocky slopes and outcrops, the highland plateaus, and the forests of the west. It is part of a group of aloes which bear fleshy berries, and were therefore classed as a separate group, "Lomatophyllum". It is also one of only two Aloe species which naturally occur on Mauritius - both endemic and occurring nowhere else.
Aloe macra is a species of Aloe endemic to the island of Réunion, in the Indian Ocean.
Aloe volkensii is a species of plant widely distributed in East Africa.
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