Aloe woodii

Overview

Aloe woodii is a very robust aloe of the highlands of southwestern Saudi Arabia and northern Yemen. It bears cylindrical racemes of densely white-haired greenish-yellow to yellow flowers. [1, 2, 3]

Classification and nomenclature

Accepted name: Aloe woodii Lavranos & Collen. [1]
Protologue bibliography: Cact. Succ. J. (Los Angeles) 72: 82 (2000) [1]
Type locality and type material: Saudi Arabia, Asir Province. The type locality is recorded as summit of Jabal Suda (Jabal Sooda) or summit of Jabal Sawdah, near Abha; Vesey-Fitzgerald 16076/6 or 16076/7; 1 July 1946; about 3,050 m; BM. [2, 3]

Etymology

The epithet honours John Richard Ironside Wood. [2, 4]

Key characteristics

Growth form

Plants are very robust and acaulescent, usually solitary, with rare division into a few rosettes or production of a few offsets recorded. [3, 2]

Leaves

Leaves are lanceolate, ascending to slightly spreading, 45–50 cm long and 10–15 cm wide, and extremely tough. Colour is recorded either as light grey-green and glaucous or as blue-green with a yellowish tinge. [2, 3]

Inflorescence and flowers

The inflorescence is erect, 80–100 cm high and many-branched. Racemes are cylindrical, about 20 cm long, and densely flowered. [2, 3]

Inflorescence and flowers

The perianth is cylindrical-trigonous, 26–33 mm long, usually greenish-yellow or yellow with green longitudinal stripes; red flowers are rare. It is densely covered with white hairs. [2, 3]

Distribution

Distributed in Saudi Arabia and Yemen, from Asir in southwestern Saudi Arabia through the northern Yemeni mountains to Wadi Dhahr near Sana'a. Scattered colonies are recorded at several locations along the Great Western Arabian Escarpment. [1, 2, 3]

Habitat

It grows at 2,000–3,000 m in relatively dry rocky mountain slopes, denuded rocky sites and remnants of juniper forest. In Saudi Arabia it is recorded in drier east-facing highland Juniperus procera–Vachellia origena forest, on basement rocks as well as limestone, sandstone and various volcanic substrates. [2, 3]

Main references

World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP).
McCoy, T. (2019). The Aloes of Arabia. McCoy Publishing, Temecula, California. pp. 136–138.
Carter, S., Lavranos, J.J., Newton, L.E. & Walker, C.C. (2011). Aloes: The Definitive Guide. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. p. 349.
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. 167.

Updates

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