ALOE SECTION ANGUIALOE AND THE PROBLEM OF ALOE-SPICATA LF (ALOACEAE)

It is shown that, contrary to earlier suppositions, it was possible fo r Thunberg to have seen living material of robust Aloe plants from the eastern Transvaal and southern Mozambique. For this reason there is n othing impossible in the suggestion that the type specimen of Aloe spi cata L.f. is conspecific with plants presently called A. sessiliflora Pole-Evans. Evidence is presented showing that A. sessiliflora is a la ter synonym of A. spicata. Other species in Aloe section Anguialoe are discussed briefly.