Aloidendron (A.Berger)

Grace, Olwen M., Klopper, Ronell R., Smith, Gideon F., Crouch, Neil R., Figueiredo, Estrela, Rønsted, Nina & Van Wyk, Abraham E., 2013, A revised generic classification for Aloe (Xanthorrhoeaceae subfam. Asphodeloideae), Phytotaxa 76 (1), pp. 7-14 : 9

1. Aloidendron (A.Berger) Klopper & Gideon F.Sm., comb. et stat. nov.

Basionym: Aloe section Aloidendron Berger (1905: 56) . Type:— Aloidendron barberae (Dyer) Klopper & Gideon F.Sm. Aloe section Dracoaloe Berger (1905: 56) . Type:— Aloe dichotoma Masson (1776: 310) .

Description:— Dichotomously branched [Model of Leeuwenberg ( Hallé et al. 1987, Van Wyk et al. 2008)] shrubby to arborescent, sub-woody to woody succulent perennials, with bark smooth to often longitudinally fissured. Leaves rosulate, narrowly lanceolate or ensiform, erectly spreading to reflexed, unspotted, margins minutely dentate, apex tapering; exudate absent or minimal, watery, pale yellow, not strong smelling. Inflorescence a branched panicle with cylindric, dense to sublax racemes. Pedicels not articulated. Flowers cylindric to cylindric-ventricose, segments connate in lower half to almost free; yellow, orange or pink to red. Stamens and style straight, usually long-exserted; filaments glabrous. Fruit a loculicidal capsule; seeds numerous.

Chromosome number:— 2n = 14 ( Brandham 1971).

Chemistry:— Roots containing chrysophanol, asphodeline and aloechrysone, 1-methyl-8- hydroxyanthraquinone pathway lacking, hence the absence of aloesaponarin, aloesaponarin II, laccaic acid Dmethyl ester, aloesaponol I, aloesaponol II and isoeleutherol ( Van Wyk et al. 1995). Leaf exudate containing anthrones but not flavonoids ( Viljoen et al. 1998; Viljoen 1999). Included in chemotype B (anthrones) by Dagne et al. (2000).