Common name: Common Soap Aloe, Soap Aloe
Aloe maculata All. APNI* Synonyms: Aloe saponaria (Aiton) Haw. APNI*
Aloe saponaria APNI*
Aloe latifolia (Haw.) Haw. APNI*
Aloe sapinaria APNI*
Aloe saponaria var. ficksburgensis Reynolds APNI*
Description: Erect succulent to c. 1.2 m high when in flower, usually without a stem; freely suckering and forming dense clumps.
Leaves lanceolate to ovate, 10–30 cm long, 5–10 cm wide, margins with brown-tipped teeth to 4–5 mm long, upper surface pale to darker green with white blotches; lower surface paler green without blotches.
Scapes to 1 m high, 2–13 mm diam., simple or branched; raceme capitate 5–10 cm long, 20–65-flowered; pedicels 30–55 mm long; bracts 7–45 mm long, 1.5–11 mm wide. Young buds erect, older flowers pendent. Perianth red to salmon-orange; tube 25–45 mm long, 2–10 mm diam., greatly constricted above ovary; lobes 5–10 mm long, 1.5–3 mm wide. Stamens exserted 1–3 mm, unequal, outer ones 25–30 mm long, inner 30–35 mm long; anthers 4–5 mm long. Stigma exserted 2–5 mm.
Capsule oblong, 20–35 mm long, 8–16 mm diam., red-brown; seeds 2–4 mm long, c. 2 mm diam., with membranous wing 2–4 mm wide, blackish brown.
Flowering: June–January
Distribution and occurrence: Infrequently escapes from cultivation; recorded for Grenfell, Tamworth and Sydney districts. Also in Qld and SA. Native of S Africa
NSW subdivisions: *CC, *NWS, *CWS, *LHI
Other Australian states: *Qld *S.A. *W.A.
Text by D. C. Godden (1993); edited KL Wilson (July 2015; Aug 2016)
Taxon concept: Paul I. Forster (1997)
APNI* Provides a link to the Australian Plant Name Index (hosted by the Australian National Botanic Gardens) for comprehensive bibliographic data
***The AVH map option provides a detailed interactive Australia wide distribution map drawn from collections held by all major Australian herbaria participating in the Australian Virtual Herbarium project.
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