Flickr - brewbooks - Aloe polyphylla Schönland ex Pillans (3)

Description:

Aloe polyphylla Schönland ex Pillans Asphodelaceae Also placed in: Aloaceae Monocot Spiral Aloe Endangered native of the Maluti Mountains in Lesotho, Africa. Grows in rock crevices at high altitudes, Only alpine member of the genus Aloe. Threats to populations of spiral aloe include overgrazing, unsustainable harvesting by plant enthusiasts and people interested in its medicinal properties, and the increasing rarity of its pollinator, the Malachite Sunbird. from www.usbg.gov/plant-collections/conservation/Aloe-polyphyl... Also see Paloma Gardens, Cliive & Nicki Higgie, Fordell, Wanganui, North Island, New Zealand Northwest Horticulture Society November, 2005 tour i110405 097