Aloe viridiana Gideon F.Sm. & Figueiredo, 2018

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 viridiana Gideon F.Sm. & Figueiredo

Syn.

Aloe greenii Baker, nom. illegit.

Common names.

Green's aloe (English); groenaalwyn (Afrikaans); icena (isiZulu).

Description.

Acaulescent plants; rosettes suckering to form large dense groups, erect, 0.15-0.25 m high. Leaves densely rosulate, suberect to spreading-recurved, bright green, obscurely lineate, with many confluent oblong white spots forming irregular transverse wavy bands, bands broader and more pronounced on lower surface, broadly linear-lanceolate, gradually attenuate, ± 40-50 cm long, 7-8 cm wide; margin with deltoid, pale brown to pink teeth, 3-4 mm long, 8-10 mm apart; exudate clear, drying yellow. Inflorescence ± 1.0-1.3 m high, erect, 5- to 7-branched from above middle, lower branches sometimes rebranched. Racemes oblong-cylindrical, 15-25 cm long, rather dense. Floral bracts ± 10 mm long, 2-3 mm wide. Pedicels 7-10 mm long. Flowers: perianth light to dark flesh pink, with powdery bloom, 28-30 mm long, ± 7 mm across ovary, abruptly constricted above ovary to form globose basal swelling, widening towards mouth, slightly decurved; outer segments free for 7-10 mm; stamens exserted 1-2 mm; style exserted 2-4 mm.

Flowering time.

January-March.

Habitat.

On stony soil, in low-lying flat sandy areas, often in deep shade or semi-shade in dry thorny woodland.

Diagnostic characters.

Aloe viridiana can be distinguished from other maculate aloes in KwaZulu-Natal ( Aloe dewetii , Aloe maculata subsp. maculata , Aloe mudenensis , Aloe parvibracteata , Aloe prinslooi , Aloe pruinosa , Aloe suffulta , Aloe umfoloziensis and Aloe vanrooyenii ) by the rosettes that sucker profusely to form large groups. It is further characterised by the recurved leaves ( ± 40-50 × 7-8 cm), with spots on both surfaces, but with the markings more pronounced on the lower surface. The 5- to 7-branched inflorescence ( ± 1.0-1.3 m high), that is without a grey bloom, has oblong-cylindrical (15-25 cm long), rather dense racemes, with pedicels 7-10 mm long. Flowers are light to dark flesh pink, with a powdery bloom, 28-30 mm long and with a globose basal swelling ( ± 7 mm diameter).

Conservation status.

Least Concern ( Raimondo et al. 2009).

Distribution.

Fairly widespread, but uncommon, in eastern KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. Possibly also in southern Mozambique (Fig. 48 ). This aloe is not encountered in large numbers where it occurs in the wild.

Notes.

This aloe has been known under the name Aloe greenii Baker. However, this validly published name ( Baker 1880) is a later illegitimate homonym, as the combination was earlier published as Aloe greenii Green ex Rob. in 1875. The name published by Robinson (1875) cannot, with certainty, be applied to any known maculate aloe owing to the very short descriptive text accompanying the name; however, it was nonetheless validly published. Smith and Figueiredo (2018) provided the necessary replacement name, Aloe viridiana , for material of this KwaZulu-Natal aloe, so providing nomenclatural certainty for material thus far known as A. greenii Baker.

Figures

Figure 48. Aloe viridiana. Photo: N. R. Crouch.