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ALOE SOCOTRINA. 
Socotrme, or Spiked Aloe.* 
Glass Hexandria, — Order Monogynia. 
Nat. Ord. Coronaria;, Linn. Asphodeli, Juss. 
Gen. Char. Corolla erect, mouth spreading, bottom necta- 
riferous. Filaments inserted into the receptacle. 
Spec. Char. Spikes horizontal. Flowers belled. Stem-leaves 
flat, stem-clasping, toothed. 
The Aloe is a perennial plant, a native of Africa, flowering most 
part of the year. Various species of the Aloe were introduced into 
this country more tliyn two hundred years ago; in the present day, 
upwards of ninety species are cultivated in our botanic gardens,! 
where they form one of our ornamental green-house plants. Most 
of the Aloe tribe are natives of the Cape of Good Hope, and a 
tract of mountains aboul fifty miles distant from the town is wholly 
covered with these plants. Various species of the Aloe have been 
long since introduced into the West Indies; particularly the Islands 
Jamaica and Barbadoes, where they are now become naturalized. 
The Aloe Socotrina has a strong fibrous root ; the tlower stems 
rise to the height of three or four feet, are smooth, erect, of a 
glaucous green colour ; the leaves, which are numerous, proceed from 
the upper part of the root, they are fleshy, succulent, narrow, taper- 
ing, smooth, of a glaucous colour, and beset on the edges with 
teeth ; the flowers are produced in terminal spikes, and are of a 
reddish orange colour ; there is no calyx ; the corolla is monope- 
taious, tubular, nectariferous, and divided into six narrow segments, 
which separate at the mouth ; the six filaments are tapering, yel- 
lowish, inserted into the receptacle, and support oblong anthers of 
an orange colour; the germen is oblong, style slender, the length of 
the filaments, and crowned with an obtuse stigma ; the capsule is 
oblong, three-celled, and three-valved, and contains many angular 
seeds. 
* Fig. d. represents the upper portion of a leaf, e. Back and front view of an antlier. 
/. Tlie ptstillum. 
t Hort. Cantab. 10th ed. 
