Aloe melanacantha

Aloe melanacantha (locally known as the goree) is a rare species of succulent plant in the family Asphodelaceae,[1] from the arid Namaqualand areas of the western part of South Africa.

Aloe melanacantha
Aloe melanacantha with a reddish colour due to drought
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Monocots
Order: Asparagales
Family: Asphodelaceae
Subfamily: Asphodeloideae
Genus: Aloe
Species:
A. melanacantha
Binomial name
Aloe melanacantha
Synonyms[1]

Aloe muricata Haw.

Distribution
Aloe melanacantha in cultivation in Cape Town.

It is endemic to the Namaqualand, in the far west of South Africa. It has been recorded from Nieuwoudtville in the south, as far north as the Orange River on the Namibian border. Its natural habitats are dry shrubland and rocky areas.[3]

Aloe melanacantha var. erinacea
Main article: Aloe erinacea

This rare plant occurs in Namibia, just to the north of the Aloe melanacantha range, and is very closely related, being almost indistinguishable superficially. However A. erinacea is slightly smaller and it sometimes grows into dense clumps due to offsetting.

Depending on the authority, it is sometimes classified as a subspecies or variety of Aloe melanacantha, and sometimes as a closely related sister-species or even as part of a species continuum.[4]

References
  1. "Aloe melanacantha A.Berger". Plants of the World Online. The Trustees of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. n.d. Retrieved August 21, 2020.
  2. "Aloe melanacantha A.Berger". World Flora Online. The World Flora Online Consortium. n.d. Retrieved August 21, 2020.
  3. Aloe melanacantha on the SANBI Redlist
  4. PlantZAfrica.com information page - Aloe melanacantha


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