Aloe megalacantha var. megalacantha (Large-toothed aloe)

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Aloe megalacantha var. megalacantha Baker

Large-toothed aloe

Kingdom	Plantae	Plants, but not fungi, lichens, or algae
Subkingdom	Tracheobionta	Vascular plants—plants with a “circulatory system” for delivering water and nutrients
Division	Magnoliophyta	Flowering plants, also known as angiosperms
Class	Liliopsida	Monocots (plants with a single seed leaf); includes the lily family
Subclass	Liliidae	Includes lilies, orchids, and many others
Order	Asparagales	A diverse group that includes asparagus
Family	Xanthorrhoeaceae	Aloes, many tropical plants, flax lilies, daylilies, many others
Genus	Aloe	Means “goddess” in ancient Sanskrit, for its reputed use as a beauty aid; some sources suggest that the name comes from Alloeh, meaning “shining bitter substance”
Species	megalacantha	“Black thorn”
var.	megalacantha	“Black thorn”

About plant names...

These aloes are native to Ethiopia (Harar Province), and Somalia.

Identification: This species occurs in groups and is 20-39" (50-100 cm) in height. Leaves occur on the upper portion of the stem, in group of 24 or more. Leaves are 24-31" (60-80 cm) × 5-6" (13-15 cm), curving back on themselves. They are glossy green and deeply furrowed, with hard pink edges and reddish brown teeth that are ~³/₁₆" (5-6 mm) long. The flowering stalks are heavily branched, about 3' (1 m) tall, supporting cone-like flowerheads with red or yellow flowers.

See the Aloe comparison table.

Photo by BotBln, from the Botanical Gardens Berlin-Dahlem.

Online References:

JSTOR Plant Science

Desert-tropicals.com

ZipcodeZoo.com

Aloe megalacantha

Aloe magnidentata

Aloe megalacantha var. megalacantha description by Thomas H. Kent, last updated 25 May 2020.

2/26/2010 · San Diego Zoo, San Diego, California
≈ 13 × 8" (31 × 21 cm)

2/26/2010 · San Diego Zoo, San Diego, California
≈ 21 × 22" (54 × 55 cm)

Range: Zones 9b-11:

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