''Aloiampelos decumbens'', formerly ''Aloe decumbens'', the Langeberg rambling-aloe, is a sprawling,

succulent plant In botany, succulent plants, also known as succulents, are plants with parts that are thickened, fleshy, and engorged, usually to retain water in arid climates or soil conditions. The word ''succulent'' comes from the Latin word ''sucus'', meani ...

that is endemic to the fynbos vegetation of the Langeberg Mountains near Swellendam and Riversdale in the Western Cape, South Africa.

Description

This plant is decumbent - as its name suggests - and its long, thin branches sprawl for up to 1 meter along the ground and over the rocky outcrops where it grows. Its bright scarlet flowers appear on and off throughout the year, regardless of season, though usually in January and December. The individual flowers are brightly coloured and large like those of '' A. ciliaris''. However they appear only very sparsely on the relatively small, thin inflorescence. They also share the long, slender perianth of '' A. gracilis'' - not ''A. ciliariss green-tinted and constricted opening to the perianth. Aloe decumbens - Langeberg Aloe from Agulhas - South Africa 2

Aloe decumbens - Langeberg Aloe from Agulhas - South Africa 2

Natural distribution

''Aloiampelos decumbens'' survives in small, isolated pockets growing in coarse sandstone sands, on cliffs and steep slopes in the Langeberg mountain range of the Western Cape, South Africa. Of the eight isolated sub-populations, one exists as far west as the vicinity of Swellendam, and one population is protected in the

Boosmansbos Wilderness Area The Boosmansbos Wilderness Area of is situated north of Heidelberg in the eastern Langeberg mountain chain of the Western Cape Province, South Africa. ''Boosmansbos'', i.e. 'angry man's forest', is named after a resident hermit of the early 19th ...

. It is possible that further undiscovered populations survive in the remote and inaccessible Cape Fold mountains.

Taxonomy

This plant is sometimes described as being merely an isolated subspecies of ''

Aloiampelos gracilis ''Aloiampelos gracilis'', formerly ''Aloe gracilis'', the rocket aloe, is a succulent plant, endemic to dry thicket vegetation around the city of Port Elizabeth, South Africa. Its natural range lies just to the west of the related '' Aloiampelo ...

'' which occurs much further east in the area around

Port Elizabeth Gqeberha (), formerly Port Elizabeth and colloquially often referred to as P.E., is a major seaport and the most populous city in the Eastern Cape province of South Africa. It is the seat of the Nelson Mandela Bay Metropolitan Municipality, Sou ...

. ''Aloiampelos decumbens'' is also clearly a close relative of ''

Aloiampelos juddii ''Aloiampelos juddii'', formerly ''Aloe juddii'', the Koudeberg aloe, is a newly discovered species that is native to a few rocky outcrops and a farm ("Farm 215"), near to Cape Agulhas in the Western Cape, South Africa. Description It is one ...

'' which similarly occurs only in an isolated pocket of fynbos vegetation, further west near Cape Agulhas. However, among other key differences, ''Aloiampelos decumbens'' is a much thinner and more decumbent species.

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q42729459, from2=Q2649929 Asphodeloideae Flora of the Cape Provinces

Description

Natural distribution

Taxonomy

See also

References