Aloes and Lilies of Ethiopia and Eritrea

52 ALOACEAE
49. Leaves strongly recurved, impossible to dry flat, marginal teeth 5—6 per 10 cm of
leaf margin; pedicels 12—17 mm long 35. A. megalacantha
- Leaves only slightly recurved, relatively easy to dry flat, marginal teeth 7—12 per
10 cm of leaf margin; pedicels 9—10 mm long 36. A. gilbertii
Description
Subspecies
1. Aloe trichosantha Berger
The specific epithet ‘trichosantha’ refers to the hairy
(trichos-) flowers (anthos). The species was described by
Berger in 1905. The type material was collected in the
Ghin da valley between Asmera and Mitsiwa (Massawa)
in Eritrea.
This species belongs to a small group of Ethiopian/
Eritrean aloes (numbers 1–6) with pubescent or papillate
flowers, a group to which A. vera might be related. The
group includes: A. trichosantha, A. pubes cens, A. citrina,
A. bertemariae, A. eumas sa wana, and A. schoelleri. A.
trichosantha is distinguished from the other species in the
group by its sharply reflexed bracts. Like A. bertemariae
it has relatively short pedicels, only up to 8 mm long. A.
bertemariae has leaves inrolled, spotted and with spines
on the lower parts.
Rosettes stemless, solitary or suckering to form groups. Leaves
12–20 per rosette, 25–70 × 2.5–13.5 cm, suberect with slightly
incurved tips, slightly canaliculate, dull grey green without spots in
adult plants, juveniles densely pale spotted. Marginal teeth 4–12 per
10 cm, 2 5 mm long with brown tip. Inflorescence up to 2 m high,
erect, with 1–3(–4) racemes. Racemes 40–70 cm long, cylindricalconical,
dense (2–3 flowers per cm). Bracts lanceolate, 10–19(–23) ×
4–8 mm, finely pubescent, sharply reflexed after flowering. Pedicels
2.5–8(–11 in fruit) mm long. Perianth cylindrical­trigonous, curved
slightly upwards towards tip, 20–30 mm long, 4.5–6.5(–7) mm
wide when pressed, pale to bright pink with short, sometimes dense,
white indumentum; outer lobes free for 6–9 mm. Capsule 19–23 ×
7.5–8 mm. Seeds 3­angled, 4.5–6 mm long, brown to almost black
with pale spots and narrow pale wings.
The species is subdivided into two subspecies based on
the density and length of the teeth along the leaf margin
and the length of the flower. The differences between the
subspecies are small, but consistent enough to justify
subspecific rank. In our present knowledge, there is
a wide gap between the distribution areas of the two
subspecies. Thus the species should be looked for in this