THE ALOES 
341 
terranean, or even on the southern shores 
of Britain,caneasilygrowseveral species, 
and the many tender kinds may be used 
effectively for summer gardening. 
The Aloes form an African genus 
akin to our northern Asphodelics^ and 
about 150 species are known. Most of 
them are from dry mountain slopes and 
stony, barren regions, extending from 
the Cape along the mountain-chains of 
East Africa, as far as Upper Egypt and 
southern Arabia. On the west side of 
Africa Aloes have also been found from 
NamaquaandDamaralandasfarasTogo- 
land in the Niger region, and with fuller 
knowledge of Central Africa we shall 
certainly obtain many others . It is hardly 
to be expected that the tropical species 
will thrive in the open so far north, but 
only a few of these tender plants have ! 
yet been introduced, those cultivated j 
being mainly the hardier kinds from ^ 
South Africa. Many of these are from 
aconsiderableelevationandhardierthan 
is often supposed, since a few degrees of , 
frost will not hurt them if dry at the time, , 
and provided theinclementweather does 
not last toolong. Kinds fromtheTrans- 
vaal, Abyssinia, and Arabia, are notice- 
ably less hardy, while the tropical plants 
suffer occasionally at La Mortola if the 
thermometer remains too long near the 
freezing point, though it may be only 
in the loss of flower. About one-half 
of all the Aloes known are grown here, 
and it is not an easy task to decide which 
are the best for general cultivation, since 
all have charms of their own. A number 
oflow-growingspeciescovertheground 
in large patches, yielding effects as fine 
as others which grow into large bushes 
or small trees. Several kinds have leaves 
life a Kniphofia, as for instance Aloe 
Cooper i. These however can hardly be 
considered more than curiosities, and 
on account of their thinner leaves are 
more sensitive to drought. In their 
native haunts they grow with grasses in 
deep,fresh soil. They are rare in gardens, 
few kinds ever having been introduced. 
Others again bear short, thick leaves 
which are truly succulent, such ?i% Aloes 
brevifolia^ depressa^ prateiisis^ vire7js^ 
and hiwtilis — all frequently met with 
— giving many unbranched spikes of 
bright red flowers. Aloe a?^istata is a 
little gem, with rosettes of 50 to 100 
small leaves, each ending in a long 
drawn-out point and covered thickly 
on the margins and on the back with 
white tubercles. It is wonderful how 
thislittleplantresiststheintensedrought 
at La Mortola, rolling up its leaves into 
a small ball wrapped in the outer ones, 
which become so faded and scorched 
as to seem lifeless. But with the first 
autumn rain (late in September or early 
in October), the little rosettes expand 
and look as fresh as ever : — there are 
few more striking instances of plant- 
resurrection. Aloevariegata is another 
of the stemless species and one not often 
met with. It is a real curiosity, its tri- 
angular leaves being arranged one above 
the other in three distinct lines, their 
surface hard and leathery , and copiously 
spotted with white bands. It is less use- 
ful for the open air, water often resting 
in the heart and causing death. 
A further group contains a great 
number of fair-sized but stemless Aloes, 
often with leaves curiously lined and 
