Aloe ser. Macrifoliae
Encyclopedia
Aloe ser. Macrifoliae is a taxonomic
series within the genus
Aloe
, comprising seven closely related species of Southern Africa
n climbing aloe. These aloes are typically multi-branched climbing or sprawling shrubs, with long spindly stems and a large woody base on the ground. These characteristics, as well as their soft, narrow, triangular leaves whose lower part ensheathes the stem, make these Aloe
s easy to distinguish.
This group of aloes is centered in the Eastern Cape
, South Africa
where they are also particularly common. A few rare species also occur in isolated pockets further west in the fynbos vegetation of the Western Cape
.
which is relatively widespread in South Africa. It seems to have developed from the smaller, rarer, finely leaved Aloe tidmarshi (now re-classified as a subspecies, Aloe ciliaris tidmarshi) and to have spread out across the country relatively recently.
Its relatives, moving westwards along the South African coast, are: Aloe tenuior
of Kwazulu-Natal
and the Eastern Cape
, Aloe striatula
of the higher mountain ranges bordering the Karoo
, and Aloe gracilis
of the area around Port Elizabeth (where the Eastern Cape thickets
fade into the Western Cape fynbos
vegetation).
Further west, the Fynbos
vegetation of the neighbouring Western Cape
is subject to frequent fires, making it relatively inhospitable for Aloes. Nevertheless, several rare relict Macrifoliae Aloe species survive in tiny isolated pockets within the Fynbos biome, such as Aloe decumbens
, Aloe juddii
and Aloe commixta
.
The unusual and endangered Pearson's Aloe (Aloe pearsonii
) of Namibia
is considered by many botanists to be an outlying member of this series. However more recent chemical analysis indicates that it is actually closer to the "Creeping Aloes" (Mitriformes), but is most likely a "missing-link" intermediate between the two groups.
of this series show clear and distinct adaptations to their different natural habitats. The climbing aloe species that are indigenous to regions with tall, thicket vegetation
are tall and erect - often with hooked, recurved leaves that allow the aloes to anchor their branches and climb up through trees and thickets
.
In contrast, the species from drier regions with low, sparse, fynbos vegetation
tend to be more "decumbent", rambling along the ground - with no need for their leaves to be recurved.
colours, these slender aloe
s have become popular ornamental plants in South Africa
n gardens. The commoner species (such as the more widespread aloes of the Eastern Cape) are increasingly grown in gardens overseas too. Like most aloes, Climbing Aloes require a sunny, well-drained position and are particularly suitable for rockeries. The taller, climbing species are commonly planted along fences and boundaries where they grow up through the surrounding foliage. The lower, rambling species however, are better suited for rockeries, slopes or terraces, which they will naturally cascade down over.
The colour of the flowers varies from bright yellow (Aloe commixta
and Aloe tenuior
) to orange (Aloe striatula
and Aloe commixta
) to red, pink or even scarlet (Aloe ciliaris
, Aloe juddii
and Aloe gracilis
). There can also be significant colour variation among different populations within each individual species.
They can easily be propagated by taking cuttings (truncheons), as well as by seed
. These aloes generally have both male and female flowers on each plant, but an individual plant is usually not self-fertile by itself. However, some of the different Macrifoliae aloe species are also inter-fertile, and can thus form hybrids.
Taxonomy
Taxonomy is the science of identifying and naming species, and arranging them into a classification. The field of taxonomy, sometimes referred to as "biological taxonomy", revolves around the description and use of taxonomic units, known as taxa...
series within the genus
Genus
In biology, a genus is a low-level taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms, which is an example of definition by genus and differentia...
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"....
, comprising seven closely related species of Southern Africa
Southern Africa
Southern Africa is the southernmost region of the African continent, variably defined by geography or geopolitics. Within the region are numerous territories, including the Republic of South Africa ; nowadays, the simpler term South Africa is generally reserved for the country in English.-UN...
n climbing aloe. These aloes are typically multi-branched climbing or sprawling shrubs, with long spindly stems and a large woody base on the ground. These characteristics, as well as their soft, narrow, triangular leaves whose lower part ensheathes the stem, make these 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"....
s easy to distinguish.
This group of aloes is centered in 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...
, South Africa
South 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...
where they are also particularly common. A few rare species also occur in isolated pockets further west in the fynbos vegetation of the Western Cape
Western Cape
The Western Cape is a province in the south west of South Africa. The capital is Cape Town. Prior to 1994, the region that now forms the Western Cape was part of the much larger Cape Province...
.
Taxa
The most common species in this group is probably Aloe ciliarisAloe ciliaris
Aloe ciliaris is a thin, tough, rapidly-growing climbing Aloe from South Africa.-Appearance:They can be differentiated from other climbing aloes by the way that the soft, white, hair-like teeth that grow along the margins of the leaves, extend all the way around the stem, at the base of the...
which is relatively widespread in South Africa. It seems to have developed from the smaller, rarer, finely leaved Aloe tidmarshi (now re-classified as a subspecies, Aloe ciliaris tidmarshi) and to have spread out across the country relatively recently.
Its relatives, moving westwards along the South African coast, are: Aloe tenuior
Aloe tenuior
Aloe tenuior is a bushy, multi-branched climbing aloe from the grasslands and thickets of the Eastern Cape, Kwazulu Natal and Mpumalanga, South Africa. It is one of the most profusely flowering of all aloes.-Description:...
of Kwazulu-Natal
KwaZulu-Natal
KwaZulu-Natal is a province of South Africa. Prior to 1994, the territory now known as KwaZulu-Natal was made up of the province of Natal and the homeland of KwaZulu....
and 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...
, Aloe striatula
Aloe striatula
Aloe striatula is a sturdy climbing aloe that naturally occurs on the summits of mountains along the south of the Karoo region of South Africa...
of the higher mountain ranges bordering the Karoo
Karoo
The Karoo is a semi-desert region of South Africa. It has two main sub-regions - the Great Karoo in the north and the Little Karoo in the south. The 'High' Karoo is one of the distinct physiographic provinces of the larger South African Platform division.-Great Karoo:The Great Karoo has an area of...
, and Aloe gracilis
Aloe gracilis
Aloe gracilis is a climbing aloe, endemic to the area around the city of Port Elizabeth, South Africa. Its natural range lies just to the west of the related climbing aloe Aloe ciliaris, and it occurs in bushy fynbos and thickets, and clustered on rocky outcrops at all altitudes.-Appearance:Its...
of the area around Port Elizabeth (where the Eastern Cape thickets
Albany thickets
The Albany thickets are an ecoregion of dense woodland near the southern point of South Africa, concentrated around the Albany region of the Eastern Cape .-Location and description:...
fade into the Western Cape fynbos
Fynbos
Fynbos is the natural shrubland or heathland vegetation occurring in a small belt of the Western Cape of South Africa, mainly in winter rainfall coastal and mountainous areas with a Mediterranean climate...
vegetation).
Further west, the Fynbos
Fynbos
Fynbos is the natural shrubland or heathland vegetation occurring in a small belt of the Western Cape of South Africa, mainly in winter rainfall coastal and mountainous areas with a Mediterranean climate...
vegetation of the neighbouring Western Cape
Western Cape
The Western Cape is a province in the south west of South Africa. The capital is Cape Town. Prior to 1994, the region that now forms the Western Cape was part of the much larger Cape Province...
is subject to frequent fires, making it relatively inhospitable for Aloes. Nevertheless, several rare relict Macrifoliae Aloe species survive in tiny isolated pockets within the Fynbos biome, such as Aloe decumbens
Aloe decumbens
Aloe decumbens is a sprawling, rambling aloe that is endemic to the fynbos vegetation of the Langeberg Mountains near Riversdale in the Western Cape, South Africa....
, Aloe juddii
Aloe juddii
Aloe juddii is a newly discovered climbing aloe that is native to a few rocky outcrops and a farm , near to Cape Agulhas in the Western Cape, South Africa....
and Aloe commixta
Aloe commixta
Aloe commixta or the Peninsula Rambling Aloe is a rare climbing aloe that is endemic to southwestern South Africa. It naturally occurs only on the Table Mountain range, within the city of Cape Town....
.
The unusual and endangered Pearson's Aloe (Aloe pearsonii
Aloe pearsonii
Aloe pearsonii is very distinctive and unusual species of Aloe, that is naturally endemic to the arid Richtersveld area, on the border between South Africa and Namibia.It is classified as endangered on the IUCN's Red Data List....
) of Namibia
Namibia
Namibia, officially the Republic of Namibia , is a country in southern Africa whose western border is the Atlantic Ocean. It shares land borders with Angola and Zambia to the north, Botswana to the east and South Africa to the south and east. It gained independence from South Africa on 21 March...
is considered by many botanists to be an outlying member of this series. However more recent chemical analysis indicates that it is actually closer to the "Creeping Aloes" (Mitriformes), but is most likely a "missing-link" intermediate between the two groups.
Regional Adaptations
The different speciesSpecies
In biology, a species is one of the basic units of biological classification and a taxonomic rank. A species is often defined as a group of organisms capable of interbreeding and producing fertile offspring. While in many cases this definition is adequate, more precise or differing measures are...
of this series show clear and distinct adaptations to their different natural habitats. The climbing aloe species that are indigenous to regions with tall, thicket vegetation
Maputaland-Pondoland bushland and thickets
The Maputaland-Pondoland bushland and thickets ecoregion, of the montane shrubland Biome, is in South Africa. The ecoregion occupies the foothills of the Drakensberg mountains, covering an area of in South Africa's Eastern Cape and KwaZulu-Natal provinces...
are tall and erect - often with hooked, recurved leaves that allow the aloes to anchor their branches and climb up through trees and thickets
Albany thickets
The Albany thickets are an ecoregion of dense woodland near the southern point of South Africa, concentrated around the Albany region of the Eastern Cape .-Location and description:...
.
In contrast, the species from drier regions with low, sparse, fynbos vegetation
Fynbos
Fynbos is the natural shrubland or heathland vegetation occurring in a small belt of the Western Cape of South Africa, mainly in winter rainfall coastal and mountainous areas with a Mediterranean climate...
tend to be more "decumbent", rambling along the ground - with no need for their leaves to be recurved.
Eastern Cape
- Aloe ciliarisAloe ciliarisAloe ciliaris is a thin, tough, rapidly-growing climbing Aloe from South Africa.-Appearance:They can be differentiated from other climbing aloes by the way that the soft, white, hair-like teeth that grow along the margins of the leaves, extend all the way around the stem, at the base of the...
comprising:- A. ciliaris var. ciliaris
- A. ciliaris var. tidmarshii
- A. ciliaris var. redacta
- Aloe striatulaAloe striatulaAloe striatula is a sturdy climbing aloe that naturally occurs on the summits of mountains along the south of the Karoo region of South Africa...
comprising:- A. striatula var. striatula
- A. striatula var. caesia
- Aloe tenuiorAloe tenuiorAloe tenuior is a bushy, multi-branched climbing aloe from the grasslands and thickets of the Eastern Cape, Kwazulu Natal and Mpumalanga, South Africa. It is one of the most profusely flowering of all aloes.-Description:...
comprising:- A. tenuior var. tenuior
- A. tenuior var. densiflora
- A. tenuior var. decidua
- A. tenuior var. viridifolia
- A. tenuior var. rubriflora
- Aloe gracilisAloe gracilisAloe gracilis is a climbing aloe, endemic to the area around the city of Port Elizabeth, South Africa. Its natural range lies just to the west of the related climbing aloe Aloe ciliaris, and it occurs in bushy fynbos and thickets, and clustered on rocky outcrops at all altitudes.-Appearance:Its...
comprising:- A. gracilis var. gracilis
- A. gracilis var. laxiflora
- A. gracilis var. decumbens (upgraded to species, van Jaarsveld 2008)
Western Cape
- Aloe decumbensAloe decumbensAloe decumbens is a sprawling, rambling aloe that is endemic to the fynbos vegetation of the Langeberg Mountains near Riversdale in the Western Cape, South Africa....
of the Langeberg MountainsLangebergThe Langeberg Mountain Range is a mountain range situated in the Western Cape Province of South Africa. The range runs in a generally east-west direction and is approximately 170 km long. The Langeberg's most westerly point is located 35 km west of the town of Swellendam; the range ends some 30 km...
, Western CapeWestern CapeThe Western Cape is a province in the south west of South Africa. The capital is Cape Town. Prior to 1994, the region that now forms the Western Cape was part of the much larger Cape Province...
. - Aloe juddiiAloe juddiiAloe juddii is a newly discovered climbing aloe that is native to a few rocky outcrops and a farm , near to Cape Agulhas in the Western Cape, South Africa....
of the Koudeberg Mountains, Western CapeWestern CapeThe Western Cape is a province in the south west of South Africa. The capital is Cape Town. Prior to 1994, the region that now forms the Western Cape was part of the much larger Cape Province...
. - Aloe commixtaAloe commixtaAloe commixta or the Peninsula Rambling Aloe is a rare climbing aloe that is endemic to southwestern South Africa. It naturally occurs only on the Table Mountain range, within the city of Cape Town....
of Table MountainTable MountainTable Mountain is a flat-topped mountain forming a prominent landmark overlooking the city of Cape Town in South Africa, and is featured in the flag of Cape Town and other local government insignia. It is a significant tourist attraction, with many visitors using the cableway or hiking to the top...
, Western CapeWestern CapeThe Western Cape is a province in the south west of South Africa. The capital is Cape Town. Prior to 1994, the region that now forms the Western Cape was part of the much larger Cape Province...
.
Cultivation
Due to their hardiness and the wide range of flowerFlower
A flower, sometimes known as a bloom or blossom, is the reproductive structure found in flowering plants . The biological function of a flower is to effect reproduction, usually by providing a mechanism for the union of sperm with eggs...
colours, these slender 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"....
s have become popular ornamental plants in South Africa
South 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...
n gardens. The commoner species (such as the more widespread aloes of the Eastern Cape) are increasingly grown in gardens overseas too. Like most aloes, Climbing Aloes require a sunny, well-drained position and are particularly suitable for rockeries. The taller, climbing species are commonly planted along fences and boundaries where they grow up through the surrounding foliage. The lower, rambling species however, are better suited for rockeries, slopes or terraces, which they will naturally cascade down over.
The colour of the flowers varies from bright yellow (Aloe commixta
Aloe commixta
Aloe commixta or the Peninsula Rambling Aloe is a rare climbing aloe that is endemic to southwestern South Africa. It naturally occurs only on the Table Mountain range, within the city of Cape Town....
and Aloe tenuior
Aloe tenuior
Aloe tenuior is a bushy, multi-branched climbing aloe from the grasslands and thickets of the Eastern Cape, Kwazulu Natal and Mpumalanga, South Africa. It is one of the most profusely flowering of all aloes.-Description:...
) to orange (Aloe striatula
Aloe striatula
Aloe striatula is a sturdy climbing aloe that naturally occurs on the summits of mountains along the south of the Karoo region of South Africa...
and Aloe commixta
Aloe commixta
Aloe commixta or the Peninsula Rambling Aloe is a rare climbing aloe that is endemic to southwestern South Africa. It naturally occurs only on the Table Mountain range, within the city of Cape Town....
) to red, pink or even scarlet (Aloe ciliaris
Aloe ciliaris
Aloe ciliaris is a thin, tough, rapidly-growing climbing Aloe from South Africa.-Appearance:They can be differentiated from other climbing aloes by the way that the soft, white, hair-like teeth that grow along the margins of the leaves, extend all the way around the stem, at the base of the...
, Aloe juddii
Aloe juddii
Aloe juddii is a newly discovered climbing aloe that is native to a few rocky outcrops and a farm , near to Cape Agulhas in the Western Cape, South Africa....
and Aloe gracilis
Aloe gracilis
Aloe gracilis is a climbing aloe, endemic to the area around the city of Port Elizabeth, South Africa. Its natural range lies just to the west of the related climbing aloe Aloe ciliaris, and it occurs in bushy fynbos and thickets, and clustered on rocky outcrops at all altitudes.-Appearance:Its...
). There can also be significant colour variation among different populations within each individual species.
They can easily be propagated by taking cuttings (truncheons), as well as by seed
Seed
A seed is a small embryonic plant enclosed in a covering called the seed coat, usually with some stored food. It is the product of the ripened ovule of gymnosperm and angiosperm plants which occurs after fertilization and some growth within the mother plant...
. These aloes generally have both male and female flowers on each plant, but an individual plant is usually not self-fertile by itself. However, some of the different Macrifoliae aloe species are also inter-fertile, and can thus form hybrids.