Aloe aristata Haw., Aloeaceae

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Present on Pacific Islands?  yes

Threat only at high elevations?  no

Common name(s): [more details]

English: lace aloe, torch plant

Habit:  herb

Description:  "Plants acaulescent, rarely solitary, usually in dense compact groups of up to 12 rosettes, the rosettes 10-15 cm in diameter.  Leaves 100-150, densely multifarious, 8-10 cm long, 10-15 mm broad at base, arcuate-incurved, rather narrowly lanceolate and tapering to a long dry awn, the awns densely tufted at their apices; upper surface flat, green, with several scattered small white spots, the spots sub-tuberculate lower down becoming sub-spinulescent to spinulescent near apex; lower surface convex, green, more copiously white spotted, the spots sometimes arranged in more or less transverse bands, and with several soft white spines forming one or two rows in median line near apex; margins armed with soft white carilaginous teeth 1-2 mm long, 1-2 mm distant, shorter nearer base, longer upwards.  Inflorescence occasionally simple, usually 2-6 branched from about the middle, about 50 cm high.  Racemes 15-20 cm long, 12-15 cm diameter, rather laxly 20-30-flowered, the flowers Jasper Red (R.C.S.) on upper outer surface, much paler underneath.  Bracts lowest about one-third the length of their pedicels.  Pedicels lowest up to 35 mm long, spreading sub-obliquely, redder above, paler underneath.  Perianth 40 mm long, somewhat globose and 7 mm diameter at base, slightly trigonously constricted above ovary to 6 mm diameter, thence slightly decurved and enlarging towards the throat; outer segments free for 7 mm, greenish brown, about 3-nerved, the apices sub-acute, slightly spreading; inner segments dorsally adnate to the outer for their greater length, the free portion broader than the outer; with a keel; the apices more obtuse and more spreading.  Filaments slightly flattened, pale rose, the 3 inner narrower and lengthening in advance of the 3 outer.  Anthers exserted up to 1 mm.  Stigma at length exserted 1-2 mm.  Ovary 8 mm long, 2.5 mm diameter, olive green" (Reynolds, 1982; pp. 169-172).

Habitat/ecology:  "This varies considerably from sandy flats under Karoo bush in the hot dry Karoo to grassy mountain slopes in Basutoland, which are sometimes under snow in winter" (Reynolds, 1982; pp. 169-172).

Propagation:  Seed

Native range:  Southern Africa (Lesotho, South Africa) (GRIN).

Presence:

Pacific
Country/Terr./St. & Island group	Location	Cited status & Cited as invasive & Cited as cultivated & Cited as aboriginal introduction?	Reference & Comments
Ecuador (Galápagos Islands) Isabela Group	Volcan Sierra Negra	introduced cultivated	Charles Darwin Research Station (2005)
Ecuador (Galápagos Islands) Santa Cruz Group	Santa Cruz Island	introduced cultivated	Charles Darwin Research Station (2005)

Comments:  Reported as possibly an invasive plant in the Galápagos Islands per Charles Darwin Research Station.

Additional information:
Additional online information about Aloe aristata is available from the Hawaiian Ecosystems at Risk project (HEAR).

Information about Aloe aristata as a weed (worldwide references) may be available from the Global Compendium of Weeds (GCW).

Taxonomic information about Aloe aristata may be available from the Germplasm Resources Information Network (GRIN).

References:

Charles Darwin Research Station. 2005. CDRS Herbarium records.

Reynolds, Gilbert Westacott. 1982. The aloes of South Africa. A. A. Balkema, Rotterdam.

U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. 2008. National Genetic Resources Program. Germplasm Resources Information Network (GRIN). Online searchable database.