Aloes and Lilies of Ethiopia and Eritrea

48 ALOACEAE
- Leaf margin with 8—10 teeth per 10 cm; capsules cylindrical, 37—40 mm long
9. A. lateritia
12. Marginal teeth 0.3—1.5 mm long, sometimes ± obsolete; leaves always very
soft and thin-skinned, pale grey-green, sometimes yellowish, rarely obscurely
spotted 13
- Marginal teeth 1.5—5.5 mm long, usually dark-tipped; leaves various but never
as thin-skinned, often dark green and/or clearly pale spotted 16
13. Plants stemless; growing in Combretum-Terminalia woodland in fire prone areas
and restricted to near Assosa 12. A.benishangulana
- Plants with stems (occasionally without in A. ruspoliana); growing in Acacia-
Commiphora woodland or in dry afromontane forest and grassland 14
14. Stem suckering freely from base; leaves smelling strongly of mice when cut;
marginal teeth minute but many and well defined; perianth yellow, up to 20
mm long (found between 300 and 1450 m) 15
- Stems branching dichotomously at apex within leaf rosette; leaves without such
smell when cut; marginal teeth almost lacking, traces widely spaced; perianth
red, 32—33 mm long (found between 2480—2700 m) 25. A. pulcherrima
15. Plants stemless or, rarely, with stems to 50 cm long; inflorescence erect, long
pedunculate, 100—200 cm high; bracts c. 3 mm long 13. A. ruspoliana
- Plants with stout erect stems 1—2 m high; inflorescence spreading,
short-pedunculate, up to 45 cm long; bracts c. 5 mm long 14. A. retrospiciens
16. Leaves dark green with prominent white spots, skin thick so leaf hard textured
17
- Leaves unmarked, rarely grey green and obscurely spotted, skin thin or thick
22
17. Leaf surface smooth, glossy; bracts acuminate to acute, relatively
inconspicuous 18
- Leaf surface rugulose, rough to the touch; bracts ± obtuse, prominently white,
scarious 18. A. rugosifolia
18. Plants stemless or nearly so; inflorescence always branched 19
- Plants with distinct slender stems to 20 cm long; inflorescence not branched
46. A. vituensis
19. Leaves always spotted, dark green, margin pale, only tips of teeth brown and
horny; perianth glaucous pink or pale yellow to red; bracts 3—10 mm long 20
- Leaves only occasionally spotted, bright, glossy green, with brown horny margin
continuous between teeth at least in places; perianth red or bright yellow;
bracts 9.5—15 mm long 19. A. harlana