A L O 



A L O 



open horizontally every way ; these are of a dark 

 green colour spotted with white, somewhat re- 

 sembling the colour of soft soap. The flowers 

 grow in umbels on the tops of the stalks, and 

 are of a beautiful red colour, appearing in August 

 and September. 



The Common Soap Aloe has broader leaves, 

 of a lighter green; the edges and spines are 

 copper-coloured, and the flowers grow in loose 

 spikes. 



The Short-leaved Perfoliate Aloe is a humble 

 piant, seldom rising more than a foot high : the 

 leaves grow near the ground ; they are broad at 

 the base, where they embrace the stalk, and gra- 

 dually diminish to a point ; they are of a sea- 

 green colour, with some white spots ; their edges, 

 and also their upper parts botli below and above, 

 are beset with pretty sharp spines: the flowers 

 grow in loose spikes, the tubulous part being red, 

 and the brim of a light green colour. 



The Dwarf Hedgehog Aloe is a very low 

 plant, never rising into stem : the leaves are 

 broad at their base, but taper to a point, where 

 they are triangular ; they are beset on their edges 

 and both surfaces with soft spines very closely, 

 from whence this plant has its name. The flow- 

 ers grow in a loose head on the top of the stalk, 

 which is very thick, but seldom a foot high : 

 they are of a fine red colour below, but of a pale 

 green above. The flowers show that it belongs 

 to the above species, though it may appear diffe- 

 rent by its habit. 



The Great MitFe Aloe grows, with an upright 

 stalk, to the hjeight of five or six feet : the leaves- 

 closely embrace the stalks ; they are thick, succu- 

 lent, of a dark green colour, and have spines on 

 their edges, as also a few on their upper surface; 

 they stand erect, and converging towards the top, 

 forming the resemblance of a mitre. The flower- 

 stem rises about three fleet in height : the flowers 

 come out at the top of it in a sort of globular 

 :-;il!<c, which afterwards becomes cylindrical; 

 these have long peduncles, which stand hori- 

 zontally, and the flowers hang downwards ; they 

 are cut to the bottom into six unequal segments, 

 ibree being alternately broader than the others. 

 Three of the stamens are as long as the tube of 

 the corolla, the other three are shorter; the 

 ig of a fine red colour, but the brim of 

 a pale green. 



T\\i: third species, or Common Cobweb Aloe, 

 never rises from the ground, but the leaves spread 

 flat on the surface ; they are plain, succulent, and 

 ■ towards the , end : the borders and keel 

 are closely set with soft white spines. The fiow- 

 er-Stem rises about a foot in height, is very slen- 

 der, and has three or four small distant herba- 

 ceous flowers , 



The Small Cobweb Aloe, which is a variety of 

 the above, grows near the ground : the leaves 

 are almost cylindrical towards their base, but 

 angular near their ends, and are set with short 

 soft spines at the angles. The leaves of this vari- 

 ety are shorter and of a darker green colour than 

 those of the former, and the plants prodr.-e many 

 suckers on every side. 



The fourth, or Pearl Aloe, is of humble 

 growth : the leaves come out on cverv side, . 

 without, order, near the ground; they are thick, 

 triangular at their ends, and closely studded with- 

 white protuberances; whence its name. 



There is a smaller sort which has been Ions 

 pr< sen ed in gardens in this country. The plants 

 flower in several seasons of the year. 



The fifth species has long, narrow, tongue- 

 shaped leaves, which are hollowed on their upper 

 side, but keel-shaped below : these are closely 

 studded «a every side with small white protu- 

 berances, from whence the plant has the title of- 

 Pearl-tongue Aloe. . The flowers grow on pretty 

 tall stalks, and form loose spikes, each hanging" 

 downwards : they are of a beautiful red colour, 

 tipped with green. It produces offsets in plenty, 

 and flowers at different seasons of the year. 



The sixth has broader and thicker leaves, 

 spreading out every way, not so concave on their 

 upper surface, nor are the protuberances so large 

 as those of the above sort: the flowers are of a 

 paler colour, and the spikes are shorter. 



In the seventh species the leaves are tongue- 

 shaped, three-cornered, gradually drawing to a 

 point, smooth, upright, a span in length. The co- 

 rollajs sub-cylindrical, thicker at the base, curved 

 back in the middle, angular at the tip; the angles - 

 green, somewhat flesh-coloured; the three outer 

 segments divided to the curvature, thicker ; the 

 inner ones distinct from each other, but longi- 

 tudinally connected with the outer ones on the 

 inside. It begins to flower about August, and is. 

 a native of the Cape of Good Hope. 



There are varieties with large, oblong, white, 

 confluent spots ; and with small ones. 



The eighth species, or Tongue Aloe, grows 

 with its leaves near the ground ; they arc about 

 six inches in length. The flowers are in slender ■ 

 loose !-;-.ikes, each hanging downwards, of a red 

 colour at bottom and green at the top. 



There is a variety of this which has the leaves 

 much more spotted. 



'i he ninth species, or Fan Aloe, grows to the 

 height of six or seven feet, with a strong stem, 

 toward the upper part of which are produced 

 two, three, or four heads, composed of long, 

 compressed, pliable leaves, of a sea-green co- 

 lour, entire, and ending obtusely ; these are 

 plated in a double row, lying over each other 



