28 
Transactions of the Boyal Society of South Africa. 
This Aloe was collected by Mr. P. J. Pienaar at Smit's Drift in the 
neighbourhood of Pietersburg, Transvaal, in January, 1914. A number of 
plants were obtained for the Union Buildings' grounds, and they flowered 
profusely from May to July. This species is found most commonly on 
and around the isolated granite kopjes of the Pietersburg district. It also 
occurs in the open flat country. 
It rather resembles A. ahyssinica in habit and general appearance, and 
must, I think, be referred to Berger's Tropicales, although the bracts are 
much larger than those which are found in this group, in fact the bracts 
at the tips of the racemes are one of the most conspicuous features of the 
inflorescence. 
The unopened flowers are scarlet (R.C.S.) tipped with green. As soon 
as the stamens are exserted, the colour of the perianth changes from 
scarlet to citron-yellow from the apex downwards ; the base of the 
perianth, however, usually retains its scarlet hue. 
It makes a very showy and attractive plant and remains in flower from 
2-3 months. 
Description. — Herb succulent, stemless. Leaves 35-60 in a dense 
rosette, erect, slightly recurved towards the apex, lanceolate-ensiform, 
reddish green or bluish, 60-80 cm. long and 12-15 cm. broad at the base, 
beset along the margins with small chestnut-coloured deltoid thorns 2 mm. 
long and 5-7 mm. apart. 
Inflorescences 2-3 from the same rosette, copiously panicled, erect, 
l-25-l'65 metres high, with about 8 arcuate-erect branches subtended at 
the base with deltoid-acuminate bracts ; racemes cylindrical-conical, 
densely flowered, about 25-35 cm. long, flowers at first scarlet greenish at 
the tips, becoming yellow when open ; bracts at first densely imbricate 
afterwards embracing the pedicels, broadly ovate-acuminate, many-veined, 
20 mm. long and 11 mm. broad; pedicels erect-spreading, 15-20 mm. 
long, greenish scarlet. 
Perianth at first scarlet (R.C.S.) tipped with green, later changing 
to a citron-yellow (R.C.S.) 35-38 mm. long, somewhat 3-angled and 
cylindrical, outer segments shorter than the inner, free, acute, inner 
segments more obtuse, slightly recurved at the apex, the two lateral ones 
becoming compressed towards the apex so as to close the mouth of 
the tube. 
Style and stamens just exserted, anthers grenadine red (R.C.S.) at 
first, flame scarlet (R.C.S.) when open, style and filaments bright 
chalcedony yellow (R.C.S.), filaments flattened and wing-like 2-2|- mm. 
broad. 
Capsule enveloped with the dry perianth, cylindrical-trigonous, woody, 
20 mm. long ; seeds darkish, irregular, narrowly winged, 4-5 mm. long. 
