''Aloe perfoliata'', the rubble aloe or mitre aloe, is a hardy creeping

aloe ''Aloe'' (; also written ''Aloë'') is a genus containing over 650 species of flowering succulent plants.WFO (2022): Aloe L. Published on the Internet;http://www.worldfloraonline.org/taxon/wfo-4000001341. Accessed on: 06 Nov 2022 The most wid ...

, found in rocky, mountainous areas throughout the

Western Cape The Western Cape is a province of South Africa, situated on the south-western coast of the country. It is the fourth largest of the nine provinces with an area of , and the third most populous, with an estimated 7 million inhabitants in 2020 ...

South Africa South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the Southern Africa, southernmost country in Africa. It is bounded to the south by of coastline that stretch along the Atlantic Ocean, South Atlantic and Indian Oceans; to the ...

Naming and classification

''Aloe perfoliata'' was formerly known as ''Aloe mitriformis''. The physical appearance of this aloe varies greatly depending on environment, and consequently various sub-populations have previously often been mistaken for being separate species. The South African National Biodiversity Institute now recognizes that these are all members of the same species, ''Aloe perfoliata'', comprising what were previously known as ''Aloe mitriformis'', ''Aloe distans'', ''Aloe comptonii'', ''Aloe albispina'' and ''Aloe flavispina'' among others. This species is the most widespread of a group of closely related "Creeping Aloes" ('' Mitriformes''), including the cliff-hanging aloes ''A. meyeri'' and ''A. dabenorisana''(stemless), as well as spotted ''

Aloe arenicola ''Aloe arenicola'' (the sand aloe or Bont-Ot'korrie) is a spotted creeping aloe, indigenous to the arid west coast of South Africa. Distribution The name ''"arenicola"'' means "inhabitant of sands" in Latin, as this tough aloe is naturally rest ...

'' of the South African west coast and the unusual ''

Aloe pearsonii ''Aloe pearsonii'' (Pearson's Aloe) is a very distinctive and unusual species of aloe, that is naturally endemic to the arid Richtersveld area on the border between South Africa and Namibia. Naming and classification ''Aloe pearsonii'' is often ...

'' of the

Richtersveld The Richtersveld is a desert landscape characterised by rugged kloofs and high mountains, situated in the north-western corner of South Africa’s Northern Cape province. It is full of changing scenery from flat, sandy, coastal plains, to craggy ...

desert.

Appearance

In their natural habitat, these

s have long, prostrate, branching stems of up to 2 meters. Instead of growing upright, they tend to sprawl along the ground and over rocks. While most of the plant lies along the ground, the terminal leaf-bearing head is often erect, facing upwards to the sun. The leaf margins are armed with harmless, little white teeth. The Rubble Aloe is extremely variable-looking, depending on its environment, making it difficult to identify sometimes. Plants growing in full sun develop tightly arranged bluish leaves, while those in the shade have more widely spaced green leaves. During dry conditions, the leaves assume a red colour. The thick, fleshy leaves often curve inwards during times of drought – making the rosette look rather like a

mitre The mitre (Commonwealth English) (; Greek: μίτρα, "headband" or "turban") or miter (American English; see spelling differences), is a type of headgear now known as the traditional, ceremonial headdress of bishops and certain abbots in ...

(until recently this species was known as ''Aloe mitriformis'' because of this resemblance). Aloe perfoliata in flower- Western Cape South Africa 3

Unlike most aloes, which flower in winter, the Rubble Aloe flowers in

summer Summer is the hottest of the four temperate seasons, occurring after spring and before autumn. At or centred on the summer solstice, the earliest sunrise and latest sunset occurs, daylight hours are longest and dark hours are shortest, wit ...

. The red flowers appear on stalks, which (befitting the variable nature of this species) vary from being rounded to being cone-shaped.

Distribution

''Aloe perfoliata'' is indigenous to the

and some adjacent areas in the

Northern Northern may refer to the following: Geography * North, a point in direction * Northern Europe, the northern part or region of Europe * Northern Highland, a region of Wisconsin, United States * Northern Province, Sri Lanka * Northern Range, a r ...

and

Eastern Cape The Eastern Cape is one of the provinces of South Africa. Its capital is Bhisho, but its two largest cities are East London and Gqeberha. The second largest province in the country (at 168,966 km2) after Northern Cape, it was formed in 199 ...

. Here it typically occurs in mountainous rocky

Fynbos Fynbos (; meaning fine plants) is a small belt of natural shrubland or heathland vegetation located in the Western Cape and Eastern Cape provinces of South Africa. This area is predominantly coastal and mountainous, with a Mediterranean clim ...

, overflowing into neighboring

Karoo The Karoo ( ; from the Afrikaans borrowing of the South Khoekhoe !Orakobab or Khoemana word ''ǃ’Aukarob'' "Hardveld") is a semi-desert natural region of South Africa. No exact definition of what constitutes the Karoo is available, so its e ...

and

Albany Thicket The Albany thickets is an ecoregion of dense woodland in southern South Africa, which is concentrated around the Albany region of the Eastern Cape (whence the region's name originates). Geography The thickets grow on well-drained sandy soils in ...

vegetation. They are usually found in groups among

rubble Rubble is broken stone, of irregular size, shape and texture; undressed especially as a filling-in. Rubble naturally found in the soil is known also as 'brash' (compare cornbrash)."Rubble" def. 2., "Brash n. 2. def. 1. ''Oxford English Dictionar ...

and rocky outcrops (hence their Afrikaans name, "''Puin Aalwyn''", or "Rubble Aloe"), growing in clay or sandy soil. These resilient plants tend to prefer flat, rocky places but it is not uncommon to see them hanging on vertical

cliff In geography and geology, a cliff is an area of rock which has a general angle defined by the vertical, or nearly vertical. Cliffs are formed by the processes of weathering and erosion, with the effect of gravity. Cliffs are common on coa ...

faces.

Subspecies

* ''A. perfoliata'' subsp. ''mitriformis'': Occurs from Nieuwoudtville as far as Montagu. * ''A. perfoliata'' subsp. ''comptonii'': Occurs from Montagu in the west, as far as Uitenhage in the east. Plants relatively more compact, large and stemless, with elongated green to blue-ish leaves. * ''A. perfoliata'' subsp. ''distans'': Occurs around Saldanha in the Western Cape. Smaller, faster-growing plants with spotted green leaves on their long rambling stems. File:Firedamaged Aloe perfoliata - Hex River Mountains - SA2.jpg, ''A. perfoliata'' var. ''mitriformis'', from the Western Cape. This one showing fire damage. File:Aloe perfoliata-comptonii - Cape Town.jpg, ''A. perfoliata'' var. ''comptonii'', from the eastern Cape. File:Aloe perfoliata var distans - Leaning Pine Arboretum - DSC05771.jpg, ''A. perfoliata'' var. ''distans'', from Saldanha.

Cultivation

A very tough and compact species, it can be grown on embankments, rocky slopes and

wall A wall is a structure and a surface that defines an area; carries a load; provides security, shelter, or soundproofing; or, is decorative. There are many kinds of walls, including: * Walls in buildings that form a fundamental part of the super ...

s, and it easily survives through both very hot summers and snow in the winter. These aloes are also used in arid gardens as they

flower A flower, sometimes known as a bloom or blossom, is the reproductive structure found in flowering plants (plants of the division Angiospermae). The biological function of a flower is to facilitate reproduction, usually by providing a mechanis ...

in the

(unlike most aloes), but require full sun for maximum flowering. The species can easily be propagated by taking stem cuttings, dried for a day or two and planted in sand.

''Aloe'' × ''nobilis''

A hybrid of ''Aloe perfoliata'' with ''

Aloe brevifolia ''Aloe brevifolia'', the short-leaved aloe, is a species of flowering plant in the family Asphodelaceae. It is a tiny, compact, blue-green evergreen succulent perennial, that is native to the Western Cape, South Africa. Listed as Vulnerable on ...

'', named ''

Aloe × nobilis ''Aloe'' × ''nobilis'' is a commonly cultivated hybrid aloe in the family Asphodelaceae Asphodelaceae is a family of flowering plants in the order Asparagales. Such a family has been recognized by most taxonomists, but the circumscription ...

'', is very commonly used in landscaping around the world. It is frequently confused with ''Aloe perfoliata'' itself, but ''A. × nobilis'' is a much smaller plant, and has much smaller rosettes. It is usually a light green colour.D. L. Baldwin: ''Succulents Simplified''. Timber Press, 21 May 2013. File:La Palma - Barlovento - Calle La Fajana - Aloe perfoliata 04 ies.jpg, Rosette of the hybrid Aloe "nobilis" File:Ses Salines - Botanicactus - Aloe perfoliata 05 ies.jpg, Aloe nobilis clumps File:Aloe nobilis-Side.jpg, Aloe nobilis showing leaf elongation from shade

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q3280517 perfoliata Flora of the Cape Provinces Plants described in 1753 Taxa named by Carl Linnaeus