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