Aloe perryi

Overview

Aloe perryi is recorded from the Yemeni islands of Socotra and Samha. Plants may be solitary or form groups, with lanceolate leaves and 50–60 cm inflorescences bearing orange, coral-pink to red, or rarely yellow flowers. [1, 2]

Classification and nomenclature

Accepted name: Aloe perryi Baker [3]
Protologue bibliography: J. Linn. Soc., Bot. 18: 161 (1880). [1, 3]
Type locality and type material: Socotra, with no more precise locality specified. [1, 2]

Etymology

The epithet perryi honours Perry. The sources differ in the dedicatee’s given-name spelling: McCoy (2019) records Wykeman Perry, while Grace et al. (2011) record Wykeham Perry. [1, 4]

Key characteristics

Growth form

Plants are solitary or, more commonly, offset to form dense groups. Stems are erect or decumbent and are recorded to 30 cm long. [1]

Leaves

Leaves are lanceolate, 20–45 cm long and up to 8 cm wide at the base. Source accounts describe the colour as dull bluish-grey or glaucous green tinged reddish. [1, 2]

Leaf surface and margin

The leaf margins bear deltoid-cuspidate teeth 3–4 mm long. Tooth spacing is recorded as 3–5 mm in one source and 6 mm in another. [1, 2]

Inflorescence and flowers

Inflorescences are 50–60 cm tall. Sources record up to five branches or usually 2–3 branches, and describe racemes as broadly cylindrical to conical or oblong-cylindrical. Perianth colour also varies between source accounts. [1, 2]

Distribution

Yemen (Socotra and Samha). It is treated as endemic to those islands and is recorded as widespread. [1, 3]

Habitat

Recorded on limestone in drier areas and on sparsely vegetated sandy plains, from near sea level to about 650 m. [1, 2]

Main references

McCoy, T. (2019). The Aloes of Arabia. McCoy Publishing, Temecula, California. pp. 287–294.
Carter, S., Lavranos, J.J., Newton, L.E. & Walker, C.C. (2011). Aloes: The Definitive Guide. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. pp. 568–569.
Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Plants of the World Online: Aloe perryi Baker (accessed 2026-09-23). Source
Grace, O.M., Klopper, R.R., Figueiredo, E. & Smith, G.F. (2011). The Aloe Names Book. Strelitzia 28. South African National Biodiversity Institute, Pretoria. pp. 119–120.

Updates

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