Aloes and Lilies of Ethiopia and Eritrea

50 ALOACEAE
29. Leaves spreading or recurved; inflorescences ascending, sometimes much
branched, racemes less than 30 cm long; tepals without obviously pale margins
(inland) 30
- Leaves incurved or erect; inflorescences erect, little branched, racemes up to
35 cm long; tepals with margins prominently pale so flower looks striped (near
sea coast in Eritrea) 5. A. eumassawana
30. Inflorescence with 1—6 racemes; perianth 35—40 mm long (plants of high
altitudes, >2600 m, often growing on cliffs) 31
- Inflorescence with 5 to many racemes; perianth 15—34 mm long (various
altitudes, rarely if ever growing on cliffs) 32
31. Outer perianth lobes ± free (in Tigray, Gonder and Gojam, and in Eritrea)
23. A. steudneri
- Outer perianth lobes all joined for 15—20 mm (in Shewa) 24. A. ankoberensis.
32. Leaves with horny margin continuous between teeth at least in places; leaves
glossy green, sometimes spotted; populations with a significant proportion of
yellow flowered plants 33
- Leaves with pale margin, only the marginal teeth horny brown or reddish;
leaves often glaucous, never glossy nor spotted, except obscurely when
seedlings; yellow flowered plants extremely rare 34
33. Bracts 9.5—15 mm long (in Harerge) 19. A. harlana
- Bracts 20—22 mm long (in Tigray and Welo) 20. A. monticola
34. Bracts (8—)10—16(—20) mm long; leaves slightly glaucous; inflorescences with
just one level of branching (in Eritrea, Tigray and Gonder) 21. A. percrassa
- Bracts 3.5—6.5 (—8.5) mm long; leaves not glaucous; inflorescences often with
two levels of branching (in Shewa, Gojam and Welo) 22. A. debrana
35. Leaves spreading or recurved; bracts conspicuously white and scarious, longer
than pedicels; buds erect till just before anthesis; perianth segments with
distinctly raised rugose midribs 29. A. otallensis
- Leaves erect or incurved; bracts inconspicuous, much shorter than pedicels;
buds horizontal for most of their development; perianth segments smooth
30. A. elegans
36. Leaves up to 2 cm wide, ± linear; inflorescence a simple unbranched raceme
45. A. jacksonii
- Leaves 5 cm or more wide (if less than 5 cm wide, lanceolate, never linear;
inflorescence usually much branched 37
37. Perianth clavate, broadest near tip 38
- Perianth cylindrical to cylindrical-trigonous 41
38. Bracts 7—12 mm long; perianth 23—27(—33) mm long 39