Description :

• Dwarf acaulescent to massively caulescent, slow-growing, rarely bulbous, succulent perennials, up to 20 m tall, erect, decumbent, scandent, rarely pendulous, occasionally terminally branched, solitary or proliferating from base to form dense groups; roots succulent, terete, or rarely fusiform
• Leaves succulent, rosulate, multifarious or distichous (rarely permanently so or in juvenile state only), multiannual or deciduous (mainly Aloe sect. Graminialoe and A. buettneri ), erectly spreading to strongly recurved, ovate-acuminate, long-deltoid, lanceolate, triangular, narrowly linear to ensiform from a tubular amplexicaul base, often maculate; both surfaces smooth, asperulous or spiny; margins mostly dentate, rarely entire, sometimes ciliate; apex acute or acuminate, rarely retuse, usually ending in a single prickle
• Inflorescence a densely to laxly flowered raceme or panicle, 1-many per plant, long-cylindrical, subspicate, capitate or corymbose; erectly spreading to horizontal, 0.1-3 m tall; peduncle terete and herbaceous or massive and woody; bracteate; many flowers opening simultaneously
• Flowers tubular, straight to ± curved, rarely somewhat bilabiate, cylindrical or constricted above ovary, sometimes clavate, cylindric-campanulate, often bulbous at base (especially Aloe sect. Pictae ); pedicellate
• Perianth segments with apices free, coherent above when wilted, yellow, orange, red, brown, whitish or greenish, often 2- or even 3-coloured, buds and open flowers often differing in colour
• Stamens included or exserted; filaments subulate, slightly filiform-flattened, often same colour as perianth
• Ovary oblong-ovoid to globose, with many axile ovules; style filiform; stigma capitate, minute, becoming well-exserted, usually considerably exceeding anthers after anthesis
• Capsule erect, cylindrical, oblong to obtusely ovoid, apically truncate, chartaceous to woody when dry
• Seeds dark brown, grey to black, irregularly angled, laterally compressed, obscurely winged but sometimes with distinct white, papery wings ( A. variegata )
• x = 7 (polyploidy)

Nomenclature:

• Aloe L.
  • Linnaeus: 319 (1753) in part fide Duval: 6 (1809)
  • Baker: 302 (1896-1897)
  • Berger: 159 (1908)
  • Reynolds: 103 (1950)
  • Phillips: 148 (1926)
  • Phillips: 186 (1951)
  • Sölch et al.: 10 (1970)
  • Van Wyk & Smith: 8 (1996)
• Chamaealoe A.Berger
  • Berger: 43 (1905)
  • Berger: 120 (1908)
• Leptaloe Stapf
  • Stapf: t. 9300 (1933)
• Aloinella Lemée
  • Lemée: 27 (1939) not of Cardot
• Guillauminia A.Bertrand
  • Bertrand: 41 (1956)
• Lemeea P.V.Heath
  • Heth: 153 (1993)

Distribution & Notes:

• Global : Species ± 500, widespread in Africa, Arabian Peninsula, Socotra and Madagascar, naturalised in Australia, the Mediterranean, India, China, South America and Carribean Islands
• Southern Africa : Species ± 130, widespread in all countries and provinces