Aloes and Lilies of Ethiopia and Eritrea

Aloe parvidens
Description
Habitat and
distribution
ALOE
73
and striped). The plants from Bale have racemes that are
only obscurely secund; the bracts are acute, 8–10 × 2.5–5
mm; the perianths are cylindrical, 21–28 mm long, pale
yellow. The plants from eastern Sidamo have racemes that
are not secund; the bracts are acuminate, 10 × 4 mm; the
perianths are distinctly clavate, 24 mm long, obscurely
striped ‘grey red’. The plants from western Sida mo and
Gamo Gofa have racemes that are subsecund; acute
bracts, 3 × 2 mm; a sub clavate perianth which is 20 mm
long, and so far the colour is unknown. This variation
needs more field observations.
17. Aloe parvidens Gilbert & Sebsebe
The specific epithet ‘parvidens’, refers to the small sized
(parvi-) teeth (dens) on the leaf margin. The species was
described in 1992. The type material was collected SE of
Filtu in Sidamo floristic region in Ethiopia.
The species is a member of the group of spotted
aloes (numbers 15–18) with tough skins. A. parvidens is
distinguished from the rest of the group by the small sized
marginal teeth (1–2.5 mm long) and the long perianth, up
to 30 mm long.
Rosettes solitary or in small groups, stemless or nearly so. Leaves
spreading with recurved tips, 25–42 × 4.5–6.5(–9) cm, dark green to
almost brown with many elliptical pale spots; marginal teeth 8–13
per 10 cm, 1–2.5 mm long with minute brown tips. Inflorescence up
to 1(–1.2) m high, with 4–8 ± erect racemes. Racemes cylindrical,
sometimes subsecund, 9–20 cm long, lax (2–3 flowers per cm).
Bracts 5–6 × 3–4.5 mm, acute. Pedicels 5.5–12 mm long. Perianth
cylindrical­trigonous, 26–30 mm long, 4–6 mm wide when pressed,
pinkish­red, sometimes ± glaucous with paler margins to lobes;
outer lobes free for 6–10 mm.
The species grows in Acacia-Commi phora bushland
or woodland in relatively flat areas, often hidden under
smaller bushes between 1200 and 1450 m in Sidamo and
Bale floristic regions. It also occurs in Kenya and Somalia.
The main flowering period in Ethiopia is from April to
May, occasionally also from September to October.