34 
Transactions of the Boyal Society of South Africa. 
Aloe aculeata. 
Transvaal. 
(Plates XIV. and XV.) 
Aloe aculeata, Pole Evans ; species distincta et nobilissima. A. rubrovio- 
laceum, Schweinfurth, valde accedit, sed caulis multo brevior, folia 
aculeata, bracteae parviores et breviores. 
Caulis plerumque brevis, robustus, interdum I'OO m. altus, simplex. 
Folia numerosa, dense rosulata, erecto-incurvata, lanceolata-ensiformia, 
sensim attenuata apice corneo pungente, 45-60 cm. longa et basi 7*5- 
11 cm. lata, 15-17 mm. crassa, ad margines aculeis cornicis rubro- 
brunneis 10-20 mm. remotis armata, supra concaviuscula, apicem versus 
subcanaliculata et paucibus dentibus similibus ubique spinoso-tuberculata. 
Pedunculus validus, simplex vel furcatus, lateraliter compressus, 
superne numerosis bracteis vacuis deltoideis latis vestibus, plerumque 
2-3 ramis, arcuato-erectis ; racemi 30-60 cm. longi et ca. 7 cm. lati, 
multiflori, densi, floribus primum laeta luteo-coccinis, deinde expansis 
lutescentibus ; bracteae rubro-brunneae, deltoides-acutae 11 mm. longae 
et 7-8 latae ; pedicelli 3 mm. longi. 
Perianthiuin 34-38 mm. longum, citro-luteum, ventricoso-cylin- 
draceum ; segmenta exteriora basi per 14-16 mm. connata, lineari- 
lanceolata, trinervia, interiora latiora et vix obtusiora apice brunneae. 
Filamenta robusta, per 15 mm. exserta brunnea. Stylus longius flavidus. 
Capsula cylindraceo-trigona, 14-18 mm. longa et 8-10 mm. diam., 
grisea; semina triquetra, anguste alata, fusca, 4 mm. longa. 
This handsome Aloe undoubtedly belongs to Berger's Principales, 
and the characters of the inflorescence and flowers suggest a close 
relationship with A. rubroviolacea, Schweinfurth, although the bracts 
are much smaller and shorter than in A. riihroviolacea. 
This Aloe was collected by Messrs. Pienaar and Wickens in the 
Zoutpansberg in the Northern Transvaal in January, 1914, and specimens 
w^hich w^ere brought to Pretoria flowered the following May. 
The plants occur in open bush veld country, and when in flower 
form a very attractive feature of the vegetation. The upper part of the 
racemes with unopened flowers is a bright orange-scarlet, while the open 
flowers lower dow^n are a bright lemon-yellow. 
Sometimes the peduncle is unbranched, especially in the younger 
plants, but more commonly there are from 1-3 upright branches, in some 
cases as many as five branches. 
When in flower it makes a very handsome ornamental plant. 
