Summer-flowering species of maculate Aloe L. (Asphodelaceae: Alooideae) in the Aloe zebrina-complex from South Africa: reinstatement of four names, and description of A. braamvanwykii Gideon F. Sm. & Figueiredo Author Smith, Gideon F. Biosystematics Research and Biodiversity Collections Division, South African National Biodiversity Institute, Private Bag X 101, Pretoria, 0001 South Africa & H. G. W. J. Schweickerdt Herbarium, Department of Plant Science, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, 0002 South Africa & Centre for Functional Ecology, Departamento de Ciências da Vida, Universidade de Coimbra, 3001 - 455 Coimbra, Portugal. G.Smith@sanbi.org.za Author Figueiredo, Estrela Centre for Functional Ecology, Departamento de Ciências da Vida, Universidade de Coimbra, 3001 - 455 Coimbra, Portugal & Department of Botany, P. O. Box 77000, Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University, Port Elizabeth, 6031 South Africa estrelafigueiredo@hotmail.com Author Klopper, Ronell R. Biosystematics Research and Biodiversity Collections Division, South African National Biodiversity Institute, Private Bag X 101, Pretoria, 0001 South Africa & H. G. W. J. Schweickerdt Herbarium, Department of Plant Science, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, 0002 South Africa R.Klopper@sanbi.org.za Author Crouch, Neil R. Ethnobotany Unit, South African National Biodiversity Institute, P. O. Box 52099, 4007 Berea Road, South Africa & School of Chemistry and Physics, University of KwaZulu-Natal, 4041 Durban, South Africa N.Crouch@sanbi.org text Bradleya 2012 2012-10-01 30 155 166 journal article 10.25223/brad.n30.2012.a19 f7c32fdf-b808-4f74-806e-c16ec002742d 7868257 Aloe ammophila Reynolds in J. S. Afr. Bot. 2: 116 (1936) . Type: South Africa , Limpopo Province , Pietersburg , on road to Chuniespoort , flowered in Johannesburg 14 March 1936 , G.W. Reynolds 1345 ( PRE , holo .!) Diagnostic characters : This aloe typically forms large dense colonies of up to 100 plants. Leaves are usually clearly spotted in transverse bands on the lower surface. Inflorescences are up to 0.66 m high and widely branched from about the middle with long, wide and divaricate branches so that the inflorescence is often wider than it is high ( Figure 2 ). Flowers are 30–33 mm long and coralred, with a 1 mm wide white border on the outer perianth segments. Distribution : It is centred around Polokwane (Pietersburg), but occurs from the Bela-Bela (Warmbad) and Mookgophong (Naboomspruit) area, northwards to Louis Trichardt, Wylies Poort and Musina, Limpopo Province, South Africa. Table 1 . Characters used to distinguish among the species in the Aloe zebrina -complex of summer flowering maculate aloes.

Character	A. ammophila	A. braamvanwykii	A. komatiensis	A. lettyae	A. transvaalensis	A. vandermerwei	A. zebrina
Main geographical distribution range	North-central South Africa from around, and north of, Polokwane	Southern North- West Province of South Africa between Wolmaransstad, Delareyville and Stella	Eastern-north South Africa, from Malelane and Komatipoort to Maputo in Mozambique	Central-east South Africa, Duiwelskloof and Magoebaskloof	Central-north South Africa, from Standerton to Johannesburg and Pretoria, to Zeerust, also in eastern Botswana	Central-east South Africa, between Gravelotte, Letaba and Timbavati	South-tropical Africa from the Angolan coast to central Mozambique
Main flowering period	February, early March	December, January, February	February, March, early April	February, March, April	January, February, March	February, March	February, March, April, occasionally June, July
Habit	large dense colonies	usually clumped, sometimes solitary	small clumps, sometimes solitary	solitary	small clumps or solitary	dense clumps	clumped, sometimes solitary
Leaf dimensions	up to 22 × 5–6 cm	17–26 × 3.5–5.5 cm	± 40 × 8–10 cm	up to 45 × 9 cm	up to 20–25 × 6–7 cm	up to 60 × 3.5 cm	15–30 × 6–7 cm
Leaf colour	dull green	dull mid green	pale yellowish green to dull green; duller on lower surface	dull bluish green	dull somewhat milky green; paler on lower surface	dark green; paler on lower surface	dull green
Leaf upper surface	with numerous oval white more or less confluent spots in irregular undulating transverse bands	with numerous scat- tered white spots arranged in irregular transverse bands	obscurely lineate, with obscure large dull white oval confluent spots more or less arranged in undulating interrupted transverse bands	with numerous dull white elongate spots scarcely arranged in undulating transverse bands	with numerous dull white oval spots more or less confluent in interrupted undulating transverse bands	with large dull to distinct whitish elongated spots arranged more or less in undulating interrupted transverse bands	with copious whitish oblong spots in transverse bands

Character	A. ammophila	A. braamvanwykii	A. komatiensis	A. lettyae	A. transvaalensis	A. vandermerwei	A. zebrina
Leaf lower surface	obscurely lineate, sometimes without spots, usually with clear or obscure oval white spots more or less arranged in well-defined undulating transverse bands	with white spots in more distinct transverse bands, sometimes confluent to yield a milky green surface	obscurely lineate, usually without spots	with larger more obscure spots that are more obviously arranged in undulating transverse bands	obscurely lineate, usually with fewer duller white spots arranged in more obscure bands	usually with distinct spots that are more confluent and in more pronounced bands that on upper surface	sometimes more distinctly marked than the upper surface
Inflorescence height	± 0.66 m	0.65–0.75 m	up to 2 m	1.75–2.00 m	1.0–1.5 m	± 1 m	1.0–1.6 m
Floral bracts	up to 15 mm long	5–9 mm long	up to ± 7–10 mm long	12–15 mm long	up to 5–7 mm long	up to 10 mm long	10–12 mm long
Pedicels	up to 15 mm long	10–12 mm long	up to 6–9 mm long	12–15 mm long	up to 10–15 mm long	up to 10 mm long	6–7 mm long
Inflorescence branching	5–7-branched from middle	5–7-branched from above middle	± 8-branched, usually from above middle	8–12-branched from about middle	5–8-branched from above middle	6–10-branched from above middle	4–12- branched from above middle
Perianth colour	coral red	light pink to usually bright red	pale dull brick- red	rose-red	flesh-pink to dull coral red	flesh-pink to pale pinkish red	dull red to pinkish red
Flower dimensions	30–33 mm long, 9–10 mm across ovary, constricted to 5–6 mm, 7 mm across tube	20–25 mm long, ± 6 mm across ovary, constricted to ± 3 mm, 6–7 mm across tube	30 mm long, 9 mm across ovary, constricted to 5.5 mm, 7 mm across tube	38–42 mm long, 10–11 mm across ovary, constricted to 6 mm, 8–9 mm across tube	36 mm long, 9–10 mm across ovary, constricted to 5 mm, 7 mm across tube	30 mm long, 7–8 mm across ovary, constricted to 5 mm, 9 mm across tube	30–35 mm long, 7–9 mm across ovary, constricted to 4–5 mm, 7–8 mm across tube

Habitat : Flat places, in rich sandy soil, usually in grassveld, sometimes in clearings among acacia and other shrubs.