Aloe ahmarensis

Overview

Aloe ahmarensis Favell, M.B.Mill. & Al-Gifri grows on lowland plains in southwestern Yemen. It is stemless or has a procumbent stem, offsets freely into large groups, has 30 cm leaves, and produces inflorescences up to 65 cm tall. [1, 2]

Key characteristics

Growth form

Stemless or with a procumbent stem to 50 cm, freely offsetting into large groups of up to 25 rosettes. [1, 2]

Leaves

Leaves are ascending to erect, about 30 cm long, 9 cm wide and 30 mm thick; juvenile leaves are copiously white-spotted. [1, 2]

Leaf surface and margin

The brown cartilaginous leaf margin bears pungent dark-brown teeth. [1, 2]

Inflorescence and flowers

Inflorescences are erect or ascending, up to 65 cm tall and 4–8-branched, with occasional rebranching of lower branches; racemes are laxly flowered. [1, 2]

Distribution

Recorded in southwestern Yemen from about 25 km east of Am-Mudiyah to beyond Al-Ahmar, and common along the Aden–Habban road. [3, 1, 2]

Habitat

It grows on sandy lowland plains with sparse Vachellia scrub, on deep alluvial soils and among lava rocks, and is reported absent from the rocky hills of its range. [1, 2]

Etymology

The epithet ahmarensis refers to the occurrence at Al-Ahmar in Yemen. [1, 4]

Classification and nomenclature

Accepted name: Aloe ahmarensis Favell, M.B.Mill. & Al-Gifri [3]
Protologue bibliography: Published in Cactus and Succulent Journal (Los Angeles) 71: 257 in 1999. [3]
Type locality and type material: The type material is Al-Gifri 3776 from 2 km east of Al-Ahmar in Yemen; McCoy (2019) identifies the University of Aden specimen as the holotype. [1, 2]

Main references

McCoy, T. (2019). The Aloes of Arabia. McCoy Publishing, Temecula, California.
Carter, S., Lavranos, J.J., Newton, L.E. & Walker, C.C. (2011). Aloes: The Definitive Guide. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. p. 441.
World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP).
Grace, O.M., Klopper, R.R., Figueiredo, E. & Smith, G.F. (2011). The Aloe Names Book. Strelitzia 28. South African National Biodiversity Institute, Pretoria. p. 8.

Updates

Classification, distribution and descriptive information are revised as new sources are verified or taxonomic treatments change.