ALOCASIA 



ALOE 



255 



DD. Midrib and ■primary nerves bordered toith pale or 

 gray-green. 



8. Putzfiysii, N. E. Br. Much like A. longiloba: Ivs. 

 broader (oval-sagittate), dark metallic green, promi- 

 nently veined and bordered white, the petioles pale red- 

 purple, tmder surface dark purple. Sumatra. I.H. 

 29:439. G.C. II. 19:501.— More brilliant than A. 

 longiloba, and has wider spaces between the veins. 



9. Thibautiana, Mast. Petioles 3 ft., greenish; blade 

 2 ft. long and 18-20 in. broad, ovate-cordate, the basal 

 lobes broad and rounded, olive-green, with broad sUvery 



168. Alocasia cuprea. 



veins and rib, the imder surface deep piuple. Borneo. 

 G.C. III. 17:485. I.H. 28:419. G.Z. 25, p. 265. 



10. Veitchii, Schott. Resembles A. Lowii, Hook., in 

 shape and ground-color, but the midrib and primary 

 veins are bordered with gray-green, the secondary 

 veins whitish and the petiole green-striped. Java. 

 B.M. 5497 (as A. Lowii var. picla). 



ccc. Veins white and If. blotched and mottled. 



11. macrorhlza, Schott. Large, reaching 10 or 15 ft.: 

 If .-blades 3 ft. long, long-sagittate and pointed, the lobes 

 short and obtuse, margin often somewhat wavy, the 

 midrib very broad and conspicuous, the blotches or 

 patches of green and white (in the var. variegala, G.W. 

 15, p. 339, which is the common form) very striking. 

 Ceylon. I.H. 8:305. — One of the commonest species. 

 Lvs. sometimes almost white. 



cccc. Veins dark or purple, or the If. dark-colored. 



12. ciiprea, Koch {A.metdllica, Schott). Fig. 168. Peti- 

 oles 2 ft. or less long, green; blade ovate and peltate, 

 18 X 12 in., notched at the base and cuspidate at the 

 point, dark metallic green with darker rib and veins, 

 the under side rich purple. Borneo. B.M. 5190. I.H. 

 8:283. G. 19:413. F.S. 21 : 2208-9. Lowe, 60. Gn. 

 50:336. — One of the best, and conmion. 



13. Regina, N. E. Br. Lvs. thick, ovate-cordate, ob- 

 tuse or cuspidate, the basal lobes short and nearly or 

 quite obtuse, the ribs and veins beneath pubescent, 

 somewhat fleshy, dark green above with darker veins 

 and brown-purple beneath; petioles terete, pubescent 

 spotted purple. Borneo. I.H. 32:.544. — Several cult, 

 varieties and hybrids are in the trade in this country: 

 A. argyrsa, Sander, lvs. large, dark green with a silvery 

 sheen, hastate-lanceolate (G.W. 15:342); hybrid of 

 longiloba x Pucciana; A. batnmennis, petiole dark pur- 

 ple, If .-blade dark green; A. Chantrieri (raised by Chan- 

 trier Bros., Mortefontaine, France), hybrid of cuprea x 

 Sanderiana, with long wavy lvs., purple below and 



prominently white-veined (I.H. 35:64. R.H. 1887, p. 

 465); A. Chelsonii, cuprea x longiloba, with lvs. purple 

 below and green above; A. g\gas, much like Villeneuvei; 

 A. intermedia, hybrid by Veitch 25 years ago (G. 2:61. 

 G.W. 15, p. 341. F. 1S69, p. 80); A. La Sallia-na; A. 

 Luciana, Thibautiana x Putzeysi, with lvs. dark green 

 above and whitish veins and margins, purple beneath 

 (I.H. 34:27); A. morlefonlainhisis, Lowii x Sanderiana; 

 A. Pucciana, Putzeysi x Thibautiana; A. Sedciiii, 

 cuprea x Lowii, with ovate-peltate lvs. purple beneath 

 and white-veined above (I.H. 24:292); A. Van Houtlei. 



The following names are also in our trade: .4. illus- 

 <r^s=Colocasia antiquorum; A. J enningsii =Colocas\3, 

 affinis; A. /dA«sto(m = Cyrtosperma Johnstonii; A. 

 Marshdllii=Co\ocasia, Marchalhi; A. violAcea^Colo- 

 casia antiquorum(?). 



The following may be expected to appear in the .\merican 

 trade: A. Augustinidna, Lind. & Rod. Lvs. peltate and wavy, 

 green above and below, with pale nerves, the petioles brown- 

 spotted; allied to A. zebrina. I.H. 33:593. New Guinoat?). — .l. 

 Curtisii, N. E. Br. Petioles 3 ft. or less, purple-barred: If.-blade 20 

 in. or less, and half as wide, shining green and gray-ribbed above, 

 deep purple beneath. Penang. — A. Desmetidna, Hort. Lvs. elon- 

 gated, heart-shaped and sinuate; petiole spotted. — A. eminens, 

 N. E. Br. Lvs. peltate, the blade 2 ft. or less long and nearly half 

 as broad, purple beneath, green and light-veined above; petioles 

 5 ft. or less, barred. E. Indies. — .4. grdndis, N. E. Br. Large: lvs. 

 2 ft. or less long, ovate-sagittate, half as broad, black-greeri below, 

 bright green above; petioles 4 ft. or less, blackish. E. Indies. — A. 

 guttata, N. E. Br., var. imperidlis, N. E. Br. Lvs. sagittate, acute, 

 1 H ft. or less long and half as broad, purple beneath, brown-green 

 and dark-blotched above. Borneo. I.H. 31:541. — .4. Indica, 

 Schott. 6 ft. or more, stout and fleshy: lvs. often 3 ft. across, ovate- 

 cordate, bright green on both sides. E. Indiea. F.S. 21 : 2206 (as A. 

 plumbea). — A. Mdrgaritx. Lind. & Rod. Lvs. slightly peltate, wavy, 

 shining, green with blackish midrib, the veins and brownish petioles 

 pubescent. New Guinea. I.H. 33:611. — A. margindta. Said to 

 have come from Brazil. Lvs. 2 ft. or less long and very broad, 

 slightly wavy, rounded and short-pointed, pale green, striped and 

 mottled with purple; petioles brown-marked. — A, Micholitzidna, 

 Hort. Lvs. arrow-shaped, velvety, the margins wavy, the midrib 

 white. Malaysia. G.C. Ill, 51: Suppl. May 25, p. XVI.— /I. i)rf()ra, 

 Koch. Forming a trunk: lvs. sagittate-ovate, the margin slightly 

 undulate, up to 3 ft. long, on long petioles. J.H. III. 42:. 393. — .4. 

 plumbea, Hort.=/4. grandis(?). — A. revirsa, N. E. Br. Dwarf and 

 compact, the petioles 6 in. long, blade less than 1 ft. long, bright 

 green, with rib and nerves olive-green. B.M. 7498. Philippines. — - 

 A. Rodigasidna, Andrfi. A.Thibautiana X A. Regina. — A.Sanderidna 

 var. gandavpnsis. Rod. Lvs. wavy-margined, purple and blotched 

 beneath. I.H. 43:65. — A. scabrikscula. N. E. Br. Lvs. spreading, 

 not deflexed, sagittate and not peltate, shining green above and 

 paler beneath. Borneo. — A. sinudta. N. E. Br. Lvs. sagittate and 

 sinuate, dark green above with lighter areas, and whitish green 

 below. Philippines.— A. specldhilis. Hort. G. 22: 171.— .4. Wat- 

 sonidna, Hort.^A. Putzeysi. — A. Wavrinidna, Mast. Lvs. erect, 

 toothed, not sagittate, lanceolate and long-pointed, dark green; 

 petioles purple-spotted, winged. G.C. III. 23: 243. F.E. 10:886. 

 Gn. 55: 183. Celebes. j^ H. B. 



GeoRQE V. NASH.t 



ALOE (Arabic name). Liliacese, tribe Aloinese. 

 Acaulescent or variously caulescent perennial succulents. 



Leaves often large, usually crowded in rosettes or 

 along end of st.: fls. red or yellow, often paler-striped, 

 straight, tubular (Fig. 169), with 

 short straight limb, equaled or sur- 

 passed by the stamens. — Afr., espe- 

 cially in the Cape region, 1 species 

 about the Medit. and extensively 

 naturalized in all warmer parts of the 

 world, and 1 in China. Plants of the 

 coolhousc, best planted out in a well- , 

 drained place in summer, when they 

 flower prettily. 



The generic or scientific name Aloe 

 is a Latinized form of an Arabic 

 name. As an English word it is pro- 

 nounced in two syllables, thus Al-oe. 

 Popularly this word is loosely used, 

 the common American aloe being 

 Agave americana, the commonest "century plant." 

 The "bitter aloes" of commerce is a resinous juice much 

 used as a laxative. The best quality is called "Soco- 

 trine or Zanzibar aloes," a product of A. Perryi, which 

 was known by the Greeks of the fourth century B.C. to 

 come from the island of Socotra. The "Barbadoes 



169. Flowers of 

 an aloe. 



