Aloe suprafoliata (Boekaalwyn)

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Aloe suprafoliata Pole Evans

Boekaalwyn, book 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	suprafoliata	“On top of each other,” in this case, like the pages of a book

About plant names...

This aloe originates from the province of KwaZulu-Natal in South Africa, and from neighboring Swaziland. It is not found in the wild in North America. The Afrikaans common name, boekaalwyn, refers to the way the leaves in young specimens (<5 years old) are stacked on each other like the pages of a book.

An "open book." By Stan Shebs.

Identification: This aloe is stemless or short-stemmed, with bluish-green to bluish-gray leaves that are less than 8″ (20 cm) high. Individual leaves are 10-16″ (25-40 cm) × 1¾-2½″ (5-7 cm). Between two and six flowering spikes are topped with racemes 2-6½′ (60-200 cm) tall. Flowers are brilliant pink, 1¼-1¾″ (3.3-5 cm) long, appearing in May to July.

By David Midgley.

Online References:

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

4/6/2011 · Howard Peters Rawlings Conservatory & Botanic Gardens, Druid Hill Park, Baltimore, Maryland

4/11/1979 · Huntington Library Cactus Garden, San Marino, California ID is uncertain

Range: Zones 9-10:

About this map...