''Aloidendron eminens'', formerly ''Aloe eminens'', is a species of

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 ...

in the genus ''

Aloidendron ''Aloidendron'' is a genus of succulent plants in the subfamily Asphodeloideae. It was split off from the much larger genus '' Aloe'' in 2013. Taxonomy Phylogenetic studies indicated that several species that were traditionally classed as m ...

'',

endemic Endemism is the state of a species being found in a single defined geographic location, such as an island, state, nation, country or other defined zone; organisms that are indigenous to a place are not endemic to it if they are also found elsew ...

Somalia Somalia, , Osmanya script: 𐒈𐒝𐒑𐒛𐒐𐒘𐒕𐒖; ar, الصومال, aṣ-Ṣūmāl officially the Federal Republic of SomaliaThe ''Federal Republic of Somalia'' is the country's name per Article 1 of thProvisional Constituti ...

Description and taxonomy

It grows as a massive, branching tree of roughly 35 feet in height. It looks similar to its close relative, the giant tree aloe (''

Aloidendron barberae ''Aloidendron barberae'', formerly ''Aloe bainesii'' and ''Aloe barberae'', also known as the tree aloe, is a species of succulent plant in the genus ''Aloidendron''. It is native to South Africa northwards to Mozambique. In its native climes th ...

'') of South Africa, however its leaves are slightly more yellow, and it produces bright red flowers.

Distribution and habitat

It is

, where it is indigenous to the northern area around

Erigavo Erigavo ( so, Ceerigaabo, ), also spelled as Erigabo, is the capital and largest city of the Sanaag region of Somaliland. History The Erigavo settlement is several centuries old. The surrounding area was supposedly built by the Madigan Dir. ...

. Here its habitat is rocky limestone slopes and forested ravines, where it often occurs on forest verges. It is threatened by

habitat loss Habitat destruction (also termed habitat loss and habitat reduction) is the process by which a natural habitat becomes incapable of supporting its native species. The organisms that previously inhabited the site are displaced or dead, thereby ...

References

Asphodeloideae Endemic flora of Somalia Endangered flora of Africa Taxonomy articles created by Polbot Taxobox binomials not recognized by IUCN Somali montane xeric woodlands {{Asphodelaceae-stub