604 
Transactions of the Royal Society of South Africa. 
year, all began to show evidence of a flower bud from the centre of each 
plant towards the early part of May, and by the first week of June last were 
in full bloom. It then became apparent that the plants were fully grown 
specimens, and that they belonged to a hitherto undescribed species. I have 
accordingly described the plant as Aloe suprafoliata, spec. nov. Its general 
habit is unlike any other Aloe known to me. It must be regarded as a 
unique species, for which I propose a new Section Superpositae under 
Merger's Humiles. 
Aloe suprafoliata may be recognised at once by its distichous leaves, 
which are rigid, somewhat fleshy, and patent or gracefully recurved. 
The flower spike is slender, unbranched, and bears rather loosely 
attached rose doree flowers. 
The plants are usually found on the tops of quartzite kopjes, and have 
been sent to me from Stegi, Lebombo Eange, and Forbes Eeef by the 
following gentlemen : Mr. R. A. Davis, Mr. B. H. Warner, Mr. Thos. Honey 
and Mr. A. Eoberts. 
Descrijdi'm. — Herb succulent, stemless, or with a very short stem. 
Leaves usually 12, exactly distichous, bluish or glaucous-green, patent or 
gracefully arcuate, lying above the other, rigid, somewhat fleshy, lanceolate, 
acuminate, 17-30 cm. long, 4 cm. broad at the base, somewhat channelled 
above, convex below, armed along the edges with sharp reddish -brown teeth 
3 mm. long and 5-9 mm. apart, on a red cartilaginous border. 
Inflorescence, about 35 cm. high, unbranched, naked at the base, clothed 
above with 9-10 broadly lanceolate-acute bracts ; raceme about 15 cm. and 
composed of about 30 flowers, somewhat loose ; bracts lanceolate-acute, 
many-nerved, 15 mm. long and 10 mm. broad ; pedicels 10-12 mm. long, 
erect-patent. 
Perianth rose doree (E.C.S.),* 38-40 mm. long, 6 mm. broad, very 
slightly stipitate at the base, narrowly cylindrical, distinctly trigonous ; outer 
segments connate to the middle, acute, greenish at the apex, anthers just 
exserted. 
EXPLANATION OF PLATE XLIV. 
FIG. 
1. General habit of plant. 
2. Plant in flower. 
3. Flowers. 
Fig-s. 1 and 2 much reduced. Fig. 3 natural size. 
* (E.C.S.) refers to colours taken from Eidgway's " Color Standards and Color 
Nomenclature/' Washington, 1913. 
