''Aloe striata'', with the common name coral aloe, is a small, stemless South African

Aloe ''Aloe'' (; also written ''Aloë'') is a genus containing over 650 species of flowering plant, flowering succulent plant, succulent plants.WFO (2022): Aloe L. Published on the Internet;http://www.worldfloraonline.org/taxon/wfo-4000001341. Acc ...

species.

Distribution

This species occurs quite widely over the southern parts of the

Cape Floristic Region The Cape Floral Region is a floristic region located near the southern tip of South Africa. It is the only floristic region of the Cape Floristic Kingdom, and includes only one floristic province, known as the Cape Floristic Province. The Cap ...

, in the

Eastern Cape Province The Eastern Cape ( ; ) is one of the nine provinces of South Africa. Its capital is Bhisho, and its largest city is Gqeberha (Port Elizabeth). Due to its climate and nineteenth-century towns, it is a common location for tourists. It is also kno ...

and

Western Cape Province 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 inhabi ...

South Africa South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the Southern Africa, southernmost country in Africa. Its Provinces of South Africa, nine provinces are bounded to the south by of coastline that stretches along the Atlantic O ...

. It is found on rocky slopes in coastal and

karoo The Karoo ( ; from the Afrikaans borrowing of the South Khoekhoe Khoemana (also known as !Orakobab or Korana) word is a semidesert natural region of South Africa. No exact definition of what constitutes the Karoo is available, so its extent is ...

areas.

Description

The coral aloe's specific epithet, ''striata'', means "stripes", and refers to the long lines (sometimes very faint) on its blue-green leaves. The leaves of this Aloe are not toothed, but have a smooth pink margin. Due to the similarity of their species names, ''Aloe striata'' is sometimes confused in literature with ''

Aloiampelos striatula ''Aloiampelos striatula'', formerly ''Aloe striatula'', the hardy aloe or striped-stemmed aloe, is a sturdy succulent plant that naturally occurs on the summits of mountains along the south of the Karoo region of South Africa. Tough and hardy, wi ...

'' (syn. ''Aloe striatula'', hardy aloe) — a very different plant, found in the highlands of the Eastern Cape.

Taxonomy

The coral aloe forms part of the ''Paniculatae'' series of very closely related ''

'' species, together with '' Aloe reynoldsii''. This species is often confused with its close relative, ''Aloe reynoldsii'', and they do look very similar. However the coral aloe has smooth leaf margins and red flowers; while ''Aloe reynoldsii'' has waxy, toothed leaf margins and yellow flowers.

Cultivation

''Aloe striata'' is cultivated as a popular

ornamental plant Ornamental plants or ''garden plants'' are plants that are primarily grown for their beauty but also for qualities such as scent or how they shape physical space. Many flowering plants and garden varieties tend to be specially bred cultivars th ...

, for use in

succulent In botany, succulent plants, also known as succulents, are plants with parts that are thickened, fleshy, and engorged, usually to retain water in arid climates or soil conditions. The word ''succulent'' comes from the Latin word ''sucus'', meani ...

and drought tolerant gardens, and in container plantings. *''Aloe striata'' x ''maculata'' (synonym '' Aloe saponaria'') — a hybrid between ''Aloe striata'' and '' Aloe maculata'', is a popular garden plant. * ''Aloe striata'' ssp. ''karasbergensis'' — Karasburg Coral Aloe, also cultivated as an ornamental plant.San Marcos Growers Horticulture Database: ''Aloe striata'' ssp. ''karasbergensis'' − Karasburg Coral Aloe
/ref>

Gallery

File:Aloe striata kiev.jpg, Flowers. File:Aloestriata.jpg, Close-up of flowers. Aloe striata karasbergensis 01 ies.jpg, ''Aloe striata'' subsp. ''karasbergensis''. File:Aloe striata x maculata hybrid ornamental plant.png, Hybrid ''Aloe striata'' x ''maculata''.

References

External links

striata Endemic flora of the Cape Provinces Garden plants of Southern Africa {{Asphodelaceae-stub