Aloe gautieri

Floribus, Aloe fragilis Lavranos & Roeoesli cognata est sed ab ista specie: habitu caulescente, caule 4 mm diam usque ad 35 cm longo, surculos emittente ad basim vel supra caulem; foliis alternis, raro rosulatis, brevioribus, tenuioribus (5 mm) et 5 mm crassis, basi planis postea canaliculatis, praecipue differt. Plant perennial, herbaceous, caulescent growing in tuft, 8 - 15 stems per tuft; bulbils and roots on the lower leafless part of the stem; stem up to 35 cm long, 4 mm thick. Leaves up to 13 per stem, cauline, dispersed along the stem, spirally arranged, alternate, spreading, with sheath 1 cm long and with some reddish nerves; narrowly linear lanceolate, 5 - 14 cm long, 5 mm wide, ± 5 mm thick, apically ± obtuse with 2 - 4 white teeth; upper surface green, with many irregular white spots, generally flat at base and canaliculate higher up; lower surface convex with identical white spots; margin armed with small white teeth, 1 mm long, 1 - 5 mm apart; leaf exudate straw yellow on the fresh turning darker yellow when dry. Inflorescences simple, 1 per stem, 25 - 45 cm long, erect; peduncle slender and straight, green, 4 mm thick, the first half without sterile bracts, then 4 - 5 triangular acute bracts 6 X 4 mm, 3 cm apart, white, scarious, with a central brown nerve in the upper portion; raceme elongated 10 - 18 cm long, bearing 10 - 25 flowers loosely arranged and a tuft of sterile bracts at the top. Floral bract 5 X 3 mm, triangular, white, scarious, with a central greenish to maroon nerve, partly sheathing the pedicel. Pedicel 7 - 10 mm long, pink at base, becoming greenish white. Flowers slightly curved; perianth 25 X 4 mm, obconic at base to 3 mm, then nearly cylindrical, pink for the first 12 mm, then white with central green nerves at the apex. Outer tepals connate for half of the perianth length; filaments white, light yellow-green at the apex, curved above the ovary, then straight, included or as long as the perianth; style light yellow-green, included. Ovary 3 X 1.5 mm, olive-green. Fruit, a 6 X 5 mm globose and dehiscent green-grey capsule. Phenology. – February to April.