Plowes' Grass Aloe

plowesii: named after Darrel Plowes (1925 -)from Zimbabwe, avid naturalist, plant collector and expert on orchids and stapeliads.

Small perennial, solitary or suckering to form clusters of 2-3 very short stems. Leaves rosulate, grass-like, linear, 20-30 cm, rather fleshy, dull green, white-spotted in the lower half; margin with minute white teeth. Inflorescence simple, erect, up to 30-45 cm tall. Raceme laxly flowered, cylindric to subcapitate, 5-10 cm long; bracts papery, ovate-acuminate, up to 10 × 5 mm. Flowers 30-35 mm long, cylindric, orange-scarlet, green-tipped.

Local

Chimanimani Mountains in Mozambique and Zimbabwe