NAT. ORDER. 



Coronaii<B. 



ALOE PERFOLIATA. COMMON ALOE. 



Class VI. Hexandria. Order I. Monogynia.' 



Gen. Char. Corolla erect, with an expanded mouth, and a nectar 

 rious base. Filaments inserted into the receptacle. 



Spe. Char. Floiccrs spiked, horizontal, bell-shaped. Stem-leaves 

 toothed, embracing, sheathing. 



This beautiful and valuable plant is a native of Africa, where it 

 grows in great abundance, and flowers most part of the year. Several 

 varieties of the Aloe, are described by Linnseus as belonging to the 

 Aloe Perfoliata, of which the Spiked Aloe is the best. 



The stem is round, smooth, about four inches in diameter, and 

 rises from three to four feet in height, and is of a glossy green color, 

 the top beset with ovate bracteal scales ; the leaves are numerous, 

 spreading, thick, fleshy, succulent, and beset with acute teeth ; the 

 Jloicers spread horizontally, in close spikes ; the cuIj/x is wanting ; 

 under each flower is an ovate, broad, acute bracte, shorter than the 

 corolla, which is six-petalled, and contains a small portion of honey- 

 juice ; the Jilaments are tapering, yellow, inserted into the receptacle, 

 and terminate in oblong anthers ; the gcrmen is oblong, supporting a 

 slender, style, upon which is an obtuse stigma ; the capsule is three- 

 celled, and contains numerous seeds. 



From good authority we are informed, that about fifty miles from 

 the Cape o<" Good Hope the Aloe grows in great abundance, large 

 tracts of land being almost entirely covered with it, which renders the 



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