ASPHODELACEAE
Aloe cryptopoda
Wildflowers© Ken Farnsworth (2020)
© Ken Farnsworth (2020)
Local Context
More common in dry areas, like around Burgersfort. In Raptor's View only known from the southern section.Identification
- Growth: Succulent plant (50–80 cm tall, excluding the flower stalk), usually growing without a stem and appearing singly or in small groups.
- Flowers: Arranged on a tall, branched stalk (1.25–1.75 m high) in densely clustered, cone-shaped spikes; the tubular flowers are bright red to scarlet (often with green tips in bud) and turn yellow when fully open.
- Leaves: Fleshy, long, and narrow (up to 90 cm long), growing in a dense rosette at the base; they are deep green to blue-green (turning brownish during drought) and curve slightly inwards or upwards.
- Texture: Leaf surfaces are generally unspotted and slightly rough; the leaf margins are armed with small, sharp, reddish-brown teeth (1–3 mm long).
- Fruit: An oval-shaped capsule (20–30 mm long) that produces grey to blackish-brown seeds with a narrow, translucent to yellowish-brown wing.
Did You Know?
During the mid-winter months of June to August, Aloe cryptopoda becomes a sunbird magnet* by producing nectar-rich flowers that sustain these primary pollinators. While usually grey-green, the plant’s leaves serve as stress indicators by turning a distinct brown or purple during periods of extreme heat or drought.