Aloe broomii
Encyclopedia
Aloe broomii, known as the mountain aloe or snake aloe on account of its odd inflorescence
, is a species of flowering plant
in the genus Aloe
, found in southern Africa.
and Lesotho
. In South Africa, it grows from Beaufort West
in the Northern Cape
to the Free State
(which borders the land-locked enclave of Lesotho), and south and east to the Eastern Cape
.
The most notable feature of this plant is its odd inflorescence, where the flowers are hidden by the extended bract
s, giving it a sinuous, snake-like appearance, hence its name.
s, including insects such as bee
s, wasp
s and ant
s, and bird species such as sunbird
s. Its seeds may be attacked by weevil
s.
, is held to have medicinal properties. Farmers use it as an disinfectant, an ear remedy for sheep, and a pesticide to purge tick
s from livestock.
. It grows well in well-drained soil and flourishes in full sun. This plant is propagated from seed.
Inflorescence
An inflorescence is a group or cluster of flowers arranged on a stem that is composed of a main branch or a complicated arrangement of branches. Strictly, it is the part of the shoot of seed plants where flowers are formed and which is accordingly modified...
, is a species of flowering plant
Flowering plant
The flowering plants , also known as Angiospermae or Magnoliophyta, are the most diverse group of land plants. Angiosperms are seed-producing plants like the gymnosperms and can be distinguished from the gymnosperms by a series of synapomorphies...
in the genus Aloe
Aloe
Aloe , also Aloë, is a genus containing about 500 species of flowering succulent plants. The most common and well known of these is Aloe vera, or "true aloe"....
, found in southern Africa.
Distribution
This aloe is widespread, found in South AfricaSouth Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
and Lesotho
Lesotho
Lesotho , officially the Kingdom of Lesotho, is a landlocked country and enclave, surrounded by the Republic of South Africa. It is just over in size with a population of approximately 2,067,000. Its capital and largest city is Maseru. Lesotho is a member of the Commonwealth of Nations. The name...
. In South Africa, it grows from Beaufort West
Beaufort West
Beaufort West is a town in the Western Cape province in South Africa. It is the largest town in the arid Great Karoo region, and forms part of the Beaufort West Local Municipality, with 37 000 inhabitants in 2001....
in the Northern Cape
Northern Cape
The Northern Cape is the largest and most sparsely populated province of South Africa. It was created in 1994 when the Cape Province was split up. Its capital is Kimberley. It includes the Kalahari Gemsbok National Park, part of an international park shared with Botswana...
to the Free State
Free State
The Free State is a province of South Africa. Its capital is Bloemfontein, which is also South Africa's judicial capital. Its historical origins lie in the Orange Free State Boer republic and later Orange Free State Province. The current borders of the province date from 1994 when the Bantustans...
(which borders the land-locked enclave of Lesotho), and south and east to the Eastern Cape
Eastern Cape
The Eastern Cape is a province of South Africa. Its capital is Bhisho, but its two largest cities are Port Elizabeth and East London. It was formed in 1994 out of the "independent" Xhosa homelands of Transkei and Ciskei, together with the eastern portion of the Cape Province...
.
Habitat
This aloe grows on rocky slopes in hilly and mountainous areas, at an altitude of between 1000 to 2000 metres above sea level. The rainfall in this area is low, ranging from 300 to 500 mm per annum, and falls mainly in summer.Description
A. broomii is a robust plant with a short stem. It grows up to 1.5 metres high, including the inflorescence. It is usually a single-stemmed aloe, although it may split into groups with up to three 'rosettes'. The leaves of this plant are much like that of other aloes, with fleshy succulent leaves edged with small thorns. These thorns are very dark, compared to other species whose thorns are either green or white.The most notable feature of this plant is its odd inflorescence, where the flowers are hidden by the extended bract
Bract
In botany, a bract is a modified or specialized leaf, especially one associated with a reproductive structure such as a flower, inflorescence axis, or cone scale. Bracts are often different from foliage leaves. They may be smaller, larger, or of a different color, shape, or texture...
s, giving it a sinuous, snake-like appearance, hence its name.
Ecology
Like other aloes, this plant attracts a wide variety of pollinatorPollinator
A pollinator is the biotic agent that moves pollen from the male anthers of a flower to the female stigma of a flower to accomplish fertilization or syngamy of the female gamete in the ovule of the flower by the male gamete from the pollen grain...
s, including insects such as bee
Bee
Bees are flying insects closely related to wasps and ants, and are known for their role in pollination and for producing honey and beeswax. Bees are a monophyletic lineage within the superfamily Apoidea, presently classified by the unranked taxon name Anthophila...
s, wasp
Wasp
The term wasp is typically defined as any insect of the order Hymenoptera and suborder Apocrita that is neither a bee nor an ant. Almost every pest insect species has at least one wasp species that preys upon it or parasitizes it, making wasps critically important in natural control of their...
s and ant
Ant
Ants are social insects of the family Formicidae and, along with the related wasps and bees, belong to the order Hymenoptera. Ants evolved from wasp-like ancestors in the mid-Cretaceous period between 110 and 130 million years ago and diversified after the rise of flowering plants. More than...
s, and bird species such as sunbird
Sunbird
The sunbirds and spiderhunters are a family, Nectariniidae, of very small passerine birds. There are 132 species in 15 genera. The family is distributed throughout Africa, southern Asia and just reaches northern Australia. Most sunbirds feed largely on nectar, but also take insects and spiders,...
s. Its seeds may be attacked by weevil
Weevil
A weevil is any beetle from the Curculionoidea superfamily. They are usually small, less than , and herbivorous. There are over 60,000 species in several families, mostly in the family Curculionidae...
s.
Uses
This plant, like many other Aloe species such as the well-known Aloe veraAloe vera
Aloe vera, pronounced , also known as the true aloe or medicinal aloe, is a species of succulent plant in the genus Aloe that is believed to have originated in the Sudan. Aloe vera grows in arid climates and is widely distributed in Africa, India, Nepal and other arid areas.The species is...
, is held to have medicinal properties. Farmers use it as an disinfectant, an ear remedy for sheep, and a pesticide to purge tick
Tick
Ticks are small arachnids in the order Ixodida, along with mites, constitute the subclass Acarina. Ticks are ectoparasites , living by hematophagy on the blood of mammals, birds, and sometimes reptiles and amphibians...
s from livestock.
Cultivation
Like most Aloe species, this plant is a water-wise plant that may be used in xeriscapingXeriscaping
Xeriscaping and xerogardening refers to landscaping and gardening in ways that reduce or eliminate the need for supplemental water from irrigation...
. It grows well in well-drained soil and flourishes in full sun. This plant is propagated from seed.