Aloe reitzii Reynolds var. vernalis D.S.Hardy

Klopper, Ronell R., Crouch, Neil R., Smith, Gideon F. & van Wyk, Abraham E., 2020, A synoptic review of the aloes (Asphodelaceae, Alooideae) of KwaZulu-Natal, an ecologically diverse province in eastern South Africa, PhytoKeys 142, pp. 1-88 : 1

E Aloe reitzii Reynolds var. vernalis D.S.Hardy

Common names.

Reitz’s spring aloe (English); lente-bergaalwyn (Afrikaans).

Description.

Acaulescent plants or rarely with short stem of up to 0.5 m, simple, rarely branched, procumbent; rosette solitary, erect. Leaves densely rosulate, arcuate-erect, dull green, without spots, texture smooth, lanceolate-ensiform, 40-65 cm long, 5-9 cm wide, lower surface sometimes with brownish spines in median line near apex, leaf tip armed with pungent spine; margin not distinctly coloured, with deltoid, pungent, brownish to reddish-brown teeth from distinct white base, ± 3 mm long, ± 5 mm apart; exudate drying bright yellow. Inflorescence 0.70-0.75 m high, erect, 2- to 4-branched from below middle. Racemes cylindrical, slightly acuminate, 30-40 cm long, 5-6 cm wide, very dense, with open flowers pendent and pressed against the peduncle. Floral bracts ± 6 mm long, 4-5 mm wide. Pedicels 3 mm long. Flowers: perianth dull orange-red in bud, turning yellow when flowers open, 32-40 mm long, ± 5 mm across ovary, enlarging towards middle, slightly narrowing towards mouth, curved-cylindrical; outer segments free for 15 mm; stamens exserted to 8 mm; style exserted to 10 mm.

Flowering time.

August-September.

Habitat.

Steep well-drained granitic slopes in grassland.

Diagnostic characters.

Aloe reitzii var. vernalis can be distinguished from other virtually acaulescent, non-maculate aloes in KwaZulu-Natal ( Aristaloe aristata , Aloe chabaudii var. chabaudii , Aloe gerstneri , Aloe pratensis , Aloe suprafoliata and Aloe vanbalenii ) by the very dense racemes (30-40 × 5-6 cm) with short erect pedicels (3 mm). Flowers are bicoloured (outer part of tube orange-red, inner part yellow), 32-40 mm long, tubular and curved, pointing downwards and pressed against the peduncle, with rather long-exserted stamens and style. Leaves are narrow (40-65 × 5-9 cm), arcuate-erect, dull green, sometimes with spines on median line of lower surface and with pungent marginal teeth from a distinct white base. Flowering time is in spring.

Conservation status.

Vulnerable. Threats include harvesting for medicinal purposes and damage by feeding baboons ( Raimondo et al. 2009, L. von Staden pers. comm.).

Distribution.

Confined to a small area in the Vryheid District, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa (Fig. 36 ).

Notes.

The typical variety, A. reitzii var. reitzii only occurs in the Belfast District in Mpumalanga, South Africa.

Figures

Figure 36. Aloe reitzii var. vernalis. Photo: E. van Wyk.