Aloe squarrosa

Aloe squarrosa
Aloe squarrosa, botanical description
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Monocots
Order: Asparagales
Family: Xanthorrhoeaceae
Subfamily: Asphodeloideae
Genus: Aloe
Species: A. squarrosa
Binomial name
Aloe squarrosa
Baker

Aloe squarrosa is a species of plant in the genus Aloe.

Distribution and habitat

It is endemic to the island of Socotra, Yemen. Here its natural habitat is limestone cliff-faces and rocky areas. It is threatened by habitat destruction and is destroyed by goat herding. [1]

Identification

Aloe juvenna of Kenya, a very different species that is frequently confused with Aloe squarrosa.
Aloe jucunda of Somalia, another frequently confused species.

It is frequently confused with Aloe juvenna from Kenya. However Aloe squarrosa has smooth, spotted leaves that curve backwards. These recurved leaves are kept only around the head or top of each stem, with dead leaves falling off the lower parts of the stem. It is relatively rare in cultivation.

Commoner Aloe juvenna has shorter, non-recurved triangular leaves and grows long stems, with the leaves retained all along the stems.


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References


This article is issued from Wikipedia - version of the Sunday, September 20, 2015. The text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike but additional terms may apply for the media files.