Aloe verecunda, Pole Evans in Trans. Roy. Soc. S. Afr. vol. v. p. 703.
This Aloe is another of the many species from the Transvaal described within recent years by Dr. Pole Evans, and it is here figured for the first time. Our Plate was prepared from plants collected by Mr. D. J. Fouche in the Middleburg District, Transvaal, and which subsequently flowered at the Division of Botany, Pretoria. The specimens on which Dr. Pole Evans based his description were found by Mr. P. J. Pienaar on the Wolkberg, near Haenertsberg, in the Northern Transvaal. In the natural state it usually flowers towards the latter part of December, and the dark red racemes are then very conspicuous. As soon as winter sets in, the leaves wither and fall.
Description:—Stem short. Leaves 8-10, distichous, deciduous, 25-35 cm. long, 8-10 mm. broad at the base, narrowly linear, distinctly channelled, rounded at the back, with numerous minute raised white spots at the base, armed along the edges with delicate white teeth 2-7 mm. apart. Peduncle stout, 25 cm. long, clothed with broad ovate shortly cuspidate green empty bracts. Raceme more or less capitate. Bracts 20 mm. long, 15 mm. broad, ovate, acute. Pedicels 25 mm. long. Perianth peach-red to scarlet, greenish towards the apex, 26-30 mm. long, 12 mm. in diameter, straight, very markedly 3-angled, contracted towards the mouth; segments free. Style and stamens not or scarcely exserted (National Herb. 2743).[{20}]
Plate 124.—Fig. 1, portion of leaf showing white spots; Fig. 2, median longitudinal section of the flower; Fig. 3, outer perianth-segment; Fig. 4, inner perianth-segment; Fig. 5, anther with part of the filament; Fig. 6, top of style showing the simple stigma.
