Aloe framesii subsp. amoena (Pillans) Klopper, 2023

Klopper, Ronell R., Grace, Olwen M., Klopper, Arrie W., Smith, Gideon F. & Van, Abraham E., 2023, A taxonomic revision of Aloe sect. Purpurascentes (Asphodelaceae subfam. Alooideae), Phytotaxa 628 (1), pp. 1921-1935 : 1921-1935

1b. Aloe framesii subsp. amoena (Pillans) Klopper comb. et stat. nov. ( Fig. 8 )

Basionym :— Aloe amoena Pillans (1933a: 168) . Lectotype (designated here):— SOUTH AFRICA. Western Cape: 4 miles north of Van Rhynsdorp, January 1928, fl. hort. Pillans, Rosebank May 1933, N.S. Pillans BOL16024 (lectotype BOL BOL140199 !; isolectotype K K000256678 ! [https://plants.jstor.org/stable/viewer/10.5555/al.ap.specimen.k000256678]).

Note regarding type:— There are two sheets in Herb. BOL labelled as N.S. Pillans BOL16024 ( BOL140199 and BOL140200 ). The label of sheet BOL140199 states that it was collected by Pillans in January 1928, four miles north of Van Rhynsdorp , and that the plant flowered in his garden at Rosebank in May 1933, when the specimen was evidently made. The label contains the text ‘ Aloe amoena Pillans Type’. This sheet consists of a leaf and unbranched inflorescence. The sheet BOL140200 [https://plants.jstor.org/stable/viewer/10.5555/al.ap.specimen.bol140200] consists of a leaf and unbranched inflorescence, an envelope containing a painting of a flower and floral bract, and another envelope with descriptive notes that contains some loose flowers. The label of this sheet states the following ‘ Four miles N of Van Rhynsdorp on Rd to Namaqualand. Flowered in N. S. Pillans’s garden, Rosebank. June 1919 ’. There is no species name written on the label. The protologue of A. amoena indicates as type a specimen collected by Pillans near Van Rhynsdorp (‘Bolus Herb. no. 16024 — typus’) that flowered in the garden of Pillans at Rosebank, Cape Town, in June 1933 ( Pillans 1933a: 168). Sheet BOL140199 is here chosen as lectotype as the information on the label most closely matches that provided in the protologue. A duplicate of this specimen is housed at Herb. K.

Description:— Shortly caulescent plants. Stem 0.1–0.2 m long, erect to slightly decumbent, simple or usually 2- or 3-branched, with persistent dried leaves. Leaves densely rosulate, erectly spreading to spreading, grey-green, turning an intense red in dry conditions, with sparse white spots on both surfaces, often obscurely striated, lanceolateacuminate, 30–40 cm long, 5.5–7.0 cm wide, margin with pungent, deltoid, red-brown teeth, 2–3 mm long, 7–10 mm apart; exudate honey-coloured, drying orange-brownish. Inflorescence usually single, sometimes 2 simultaneously, 0.7–0.9 m high, erect, usually simple or sometimes up to 3-branched. Peduncle up to 2 cm wide and plano-convex below, terete upwards, reddish green; with numerous sterile bracts, ovate-deltoid, 10–17 mm long, 10–12 mm wide, brownish, scarious, many-nerved. Racemes elongate-conical, attenuate, 30–40 cm long, ± 9 cm wide, erect, rather lax; buds erect to spreading, flowers nodding to pendent when open. Floral bracts ovate-acute, 15–18 mm long, 5–6 mm wide, red to brown, fleshy to scarious, many-nerved. Pedicels 20–22 mm long, red. Flowers: perianth red, 25–28 mm long, ± 8 mm across ovary, slightly narrowed towards mouth, cylindric-trigonous; outer segments free to base, tips slightly spreading; stamens with yellow filiform flattened filaments, exserted portion turning dark brown, exserted 3–5 mm; ovary 6 mm long, 3 mm diameter, pale green; style yellow, exserted 3–5 mm.

Diagnostic characters:— Aloe framesii subsp. amoena is distinguished by its semi-erect to slightly decumbent stem with rosettes that are either solitary or forming small groups. Leaves have a few white spots on both surfaces and are often obscurely lineate, with reddish brown marginal teeth 2–3 mm long. Inflorescences are usually simple or sometimes up to 3-branched, with unicoloured red racemes of 30–40 cm long. Pedicels are 20–22 mm long. Flowers are 25–28 mm long. Leaf exudate does usually not dry purple (dries orange-brownish).

Distribution:— Known only from the area around and between Graafwater, Clanwilliam and Van Rhynsdorp, Western Cape, South Africa. Endemic to the Fynbos Biome.

Habitat:— Rocky outcrops of Sandstone Fynbos.

Elevation:— 170–600 m

Flowering time:— June–August

Etymology:— From Latin ‘amoena’ (beautiful); refers to the beauty of the plant.

General notes:— Originally described as Aloe amoena , but long treated as a synonym and southern form of Aloe framesii ( Reynolds 1950) . It was first collected on the main road between Graafwater and Lambert’s Bay (by Miss Lavis), near Clanwilliam and north of Van Rhynsdorp ( Pillans 1933a).

Dimensions of the flowers suggest a close affinity to Aloe microstigma (S.J. Marais, pers. comm.). This should be investigated, especially in the light of the geographic proximity of populations of Aloe cf. microstigma at Kagga Kamma Nature Reserve (Cederberg region).

Additional specimens examined:— SOUTH AFRICA. Western Cape: Near Olifants River Bridge, W of Clanwilliam, fl. Johannesburg 11 June 1936, G. W . Reynolds 931 (PREm); 30 July 1937, G. W . Reynolds 2595 ( BOL, K, PREm); Fl. Pretoria June 1938, G. W . Reynolds 2592 (PREm). Olifants River Valley near Clanwilliam , May 1907, N. S . Pillans 959 ( GRA); fl. Rosebank, August 1907, N. S . Pillans 6799 ( BOL). Clanwilliam, Steenrug farms, Kleinvlei , 14 August 1980, A . le Roux 2615 ( BOL). Warmhoek-Platberg, SE of Clanwilliam , 15 June 1984, H. C . Taylor 10948 ( PRE). Between Graafwater and Lambert’s Bay , June 1932, M . Lavis 20453 ( BOL). N of Van Rhynsdorp, June 1919, fl. Rosebank , N. S . Pillans BOL16024 ( BOL) .

Figures

FIGURE 8. Aloe framesii subsp. amoena. A. Known distribution (red shading). B. Single rosette with 3-branched inflorescence. C. Rosette of grey-green leaves with obscure striations and sparse white spots on both surfaces. D. Rosette of intense red leaves during very dry conditions. E. Raceme with red, greenish yellow-tipped flowers. Photographs: B, C, E. Neil R. Crouch (Clanwilliam, Western Cape, South Africa, July 2015); D. Arrie W. Klopper (Agter Pakhuis, Cederberg, Western Cape, South Africa, December 2012).