50 ALOE 



yellow, most of tbe others being orange and orange- 

 scarlet. A. plicatilis makes an ornamental tub plant 

 when 4 or 5 ft. high. Except during the period in which 

 the species are in active growth, they need very little 

 water, the principal idea being to keep the soil sweet 

 and porous even when in growth. At all times the 

 air of the house should be as dry as possible, full 

 sunshine not hurting them. Prop, by seeds, suck- 

 ers and cuttings. The arborescent kinds should be 

 rooted after they have completed growth. Dust over 

 the cut part cf the cutting with powdered charcoal and 

 dry in sunshine before putting it in to root. Insert 

 singly in as small pots as they will go into, and plunge 

 in a sand bed. Very little moisture is necessary while 

 rooting- G. W. Oliver. 



The generic or scientific name Aloe is a Latinized 

 form of an Arabic name. As an English word it is pro- 

 nounced ill two svllalilcs. tliiis. A'-loe. Popularly this 



word is l.i..^l-, II . .1, I III' .. it -II AiiM I i.-iui Ah.c- being 



Agav, .1 ■ ' ■I'lirv Plunt." 



The"l.iii. I i' . . ! ■ ' . ■ - iuir.- much 



used as :i ! , i' . T;,. I.. I ',1, I .:. '1 "So,',, trine 



or Zail/il.iir \1... -/■;. |-r.nli,,-i ,,; I /' , , .■,••• Oi wiis 

 known h\- lln < ,n'i l,, ,.f Ihc I . ,; ' . 1,1 I'.i ', to 



come fn. Ill tin i-himl ..( s,„.,,tMi. 'I'.. ■ I: n, • \|im>." 



is the |.r.Mii„.t Ml .1. ,. r.,. n s| iiiii. ii li.iiil.il in 



the West Ii„li,-s. (i.ii.iii iillu'.l to Alw are Ai.i.ia, lias- 

 tcria, Hiuvuitliia, Pacliideudron, and I'hylloma. The 

 group is .an extremely difficult one for the botanist, there 

 being few authentic specimens in the herbaria, because 

 of the large size of the plants, the infrequent flowering, 

 and the difficulty of suitably drying them. 



Aloes are much cultivated as decorative plants, being 

 amongst the most popular of desert and succulent plants 

 for their stiff, liarsli and rui,-i;.-d habit. Tli,-y are often 



grouped III.. .Ill l.ii :<■ l.iii.li.- i.iii;.l|.i:;.. ^^1|. r. .Ii.-\ em- 



lectio 



irly 



quantity. For index to the following species, see sup- 

 plementary list, p. 51. W. M. 



A. Arraiiijemeiit of Ivx. spiral (except in seedlings). 



B. Form of Irs. hroaiUii hnir.'olale, acute : size of Ivs. 



Border of Ir 



'largin entire or 



68 Aloe serrulata 



ALOE 



cc. Border of Ivs. xisiially only near the apex : 

 mottling present. 

 5. sapon^ria, Haw. (A. disticha. Mill., not Linn, nor 

 Thunb. A. umbelldta, DC.). Shortly caulescent: Ivs. 

 somewhat gray-green or purplish, the small teeth re- 

 mote : racemes short and compact. 

 Cape. B.M.460. — Varies into many Ji 



Vnr. liiteo-striata, Haw. Lvs. 

 pale-lined. 



D. Color of lvs. grayish : shape of lvs. flattened. 

 1. striata. Haw. (A. paniculita, Ja.cq. A. dlbo-clncta, 

 Hort.). Caulescent: lvs. at length large, finely dark- 

 lined, scarcely mottled, 

 with entire white border : 

 inflorescence compound, 

 broadly cymose : fls. red, 

 constricted above the 

 ovary Cape B. M. 5210. 

 Hybrids with A. serrulata 

 and A grandidentata oc- 

 (ur having toothed lvs. 

 \ ir rhodocincta (A. 



Naud.). Lvs. 

 -ry glaucous, 

 reddish bor- 



2 serrulita, Haw. Fig. 

 Oh L^s less striate, ob- 

 scurtlj mottled, the white 

 border denticulate : infio- 

 rtscence less cymose. 

 Cape. B.M. 1415. 

 DD. Color of lvs. clearer green ; shape of lvs. more con- 

 rave: teeth small and cut nearly through the 

 border. 



3. macroc&rpa, Tod. Lvs. interruptedly green-lined, 

 more evidently mottled: inflorescence branched with 

 elongated racemes. Abyssinia. 



4. Schlmperi, Tod. Lvs. coarsely green-lined, scarcely 

 mottled: racemes short and cymose. Abyssinia, China! 



69. Aloe heteracantha. 



6. lati!6Ua, Haw. (A. sapond Wa,var. latifdlia, Hort.). 

 Lvs. apple-green, thick and broad, concave, the con- 

 spicuous pale blotches irregularly transversely confluent ; 

 teeth large, mostly curved, rather remote : racemes 

 «hort and dense. Cape. B.M. 1346. 



7. commutata. Tod. Lvs. rather thinner : racemes 

 several, somewhat elongated. Abys. 



8. obsoiira, Mill. (A. pScta, Thunb.). Lvs. rather nar- 

 I rower and thinner : racemes elongated. Cape. B. JI. 



1323. 



9. grandidentita, Salm. Lvs. and racemes still more 

 elongated. Cape. 



ccc. Border of lvs. nearly absent : mottling scarcely 

 present : lvs. involute at tip. 



10. glaiica, Mill. (4. Wtodacrfntfia, DC). Caulescent: 

 lvs. not mottled, very glaucous, the irregular red or brown 

 teeth subconfluent: inSor. simple, densely racemose; 

 fls. red, scarcely constricted above the ovary. Cape. 

 B.M. 1278. A hybrid with A. humilis, var. incurva, is 



Var. murlcita, Sch. Lvs. glaucous, with large teeth, 

 those on the keel or apex more developed. 



11. heteracdntha, Bak. (.d.in^rniis, Hort.. not Forsk.). 

 Fig. 09. Nearly steiuless, often densely cespitose : lvs. 

 dark green, sometimes with a few obscure yellowish 

 green spots, slightly striate at base, entire or with a few 

 remote small teeth. Cape? B.M. 6863. 



BB. Form of lvs. ovate-lanceolate, acute, thick, mostly 

 tuhercultrte on the back : size of lvs. large. 



12. f§rox. Mill. (A. muricdta, Schult. A. hdrrida, 

 Haw. Piirhidhidron firox, Haw.). Caulescent, un- 

 branched : lvs. crowded at summit, glaucous, the margin 

 and botli surfaces remotely coarsely pungently toothed: 

 inflor. branched, with elongated very dense racemes; 

 fls. reddish, with stamens twice as long as the perianllj. 

 Cape. B.M. 1975. G.C. H. 3: 243.-Varies into several 

 less murioate forms. 



13. mitrifdrmis, Mill. {A. mitra;f6rmis,Wmd., not DC. 

 nor Haw. A. Commilyni, Willd. A. spinuldsa, Salm. 

 A.pachyphylla, Hort. 'A.xanthacd>itha,Wmd.). Fig. 70. 

 Somewhat branching: lvs. spaced along the stem above, 

 dark green, with strong, separated marginal teeth, both 

 faces usually muricate : inflor. sometimes branched, with 

 short, compact racemes: stamens not exserted. Cape. 

 B.M. 1270. — Varies into numerous forms. 



