''Aloe'' sect. ''Lomatophyllum'' is a

taxonomic Taxonomy is the practice and science of categorization or classification. A taxonomy (or taxonomical classification) is a scheme of classification, especially a hierarchical classification, in which things are organized into groups or types. ...

section within the

genus Genus ( plural genera ) is a taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of extant taxon, living and fossil organisms as well as Virus classification#ICTV classification, viruses. In the hierarchy of biological classification, genus com ...

Aloe ''Aloe'' (; also written ''Aloë'') is a genus containing over 650 species of flowering succulent plants.WFO (2022): Aloe L. Published on the Internet;http://www.worldfloraonline.org/taxon/wfo-4000001341. Accessed on: 06 Nov 2022 The most wid ...

'', comprising between 12 and 18 closely related species of Aloe from Madagascar and the Mascareigne islands. These species are distinguished by their having fleshy berries of unwinged seeds (unlike the other ''

'' species which bear dehiscent capsules of winged seeds).

Description

The Aloes of this section are all shrubby and form short stems, topped with succulent lanceolate leaves. The flowers appear in racemes and range in colour from orange or yellow to red. The plants produce fleshy berries which contain the seeds.

Distribution

The species of this section are all located on the islands of the

Indian Ocean The Indian Ocean is the third-largest of the world's five oceanic divisions, covering or ~19.8% of the water on Earth's surface. It is bounded by Asia to the north, Africa to the west and Australia to the east. To the south it is bounded by th ...

. Most are restricted to the island of

Madagascar Madagascar (; mg, Madagasikara, ), officially the Republic of Madagascar ( mg, Repoblikan'i Madagasikara, links=no, ; french: République de Madagascar), is an island country in the Indian Ocean, approximately off the coast of East Africa ...

. A minority are indigenous to the smaller islands of Reunion, Mauritius, Rodrigues, Aldabra and Pemba. These form a clade that likely radiated from Madagascar following the roots of the major ocean currents. Most of the species of the smaller Indian Ocean islands grow on beaches or very near to the coast. In some parts of their distribution, they are locally known as "Mazambrons".Wessel Marais : ''The extra-Madagascan species of Lomatophyllum (Liliaceae)''. In: Kew Bulletin. Band 29, Nummer 4, 1974.

Species

* ''

Aloe aldabrensis ''Aloe aldabrensis'' (the "Aldabra Aloe", previously ''Lomatophyllum aldabrensis'') is a species of ''Aloe'' endemic to the islands of Aldabra in the Indian Ocean, where it can still be found in coastal scrub on limestone-based soil. Description ...

'' (Marais) - indigenous to West Island, Aldabra Atoll,

Seychelles Seychelles (, ; ), officially the Republic of Seychelles (french: link=no, République des Seychelles; Creole: ''La Repiblik Sesel''), is an archipelagic state consisting of 115 islands in the Indian Ocean. Its capital and largest city, V ...

. * '' Aloe citrea'' (Guillaumin) - Madagascar * '' Aloe lomatophylloides'' (Balf.f.) - endemic to the island of

Rodrigues Rodrigues (french: Île Rodrigues, link=yes ; Creole: ) is a autonomous outer island of the Republic of Mauritius in the Indian Ocean, about east of Mauritius. It is part of the Mascarene Islands, which include Mauritius and Réunion. Rodr ...

. * ''

Aloe purpurea ''Aloe purpurea'' (previously ''Lomatophyllum purpureum/borbonicum/aloiflorum''. Locally known as "Mazambron" or "Socotrine du Pays") is a species of ''Aloe'' endemic to the island of Mauritius, in the Indian Ocean, where it formerly occurred o ...

'' (Lamark) - endemic to the island of

Mauritius Mauritius ( ; french: Maurice, link=no ; mfe, label=Mauritian Creole, Moris ), officially the Republic of Mauritius, is an island nation in the Indian Ocean about off the southeast coast of the African continent, east of Madagascar. It incl ...

. * '' Aloe tormentorii'' (Marais) - endemic to the island of

. * ''

Aloe macra ''Aloe macra'' (previously ''Lomatophyllum macrum''. The "Réunion Aloe", locally known as the "Mazambron marron" or "Mazambron sauvage") is a species of ''Aloe'' endemic to the island of Réunion, in the Indian Ocean. Description The Réunion ...

'' (Haworth) - endemic to the island of

Réunion Réunion (; french: La Réunion, ; previously ''Île Bourbon''; rcf, label= Reunionese Creole, La Rényon) is an island in the Indian Ocean that is an overseas department and region of France. It is located approximately east of the island ...

. * '' Aloe mayottensis'' (Berger) - Comoros islands * ''

Aloe alexandrei ''Aloe'' (; also written ''Aloë'') is a genus containing over 650 species of flowering succulent plants.WFO (2022): Aloe L. Published on the Internet;http://www.worldfloraonline.org/taxon/wfo-4000001341. Accessed on: 06 Nov 2022 The most wid ...

'' (Ellert) - Comoros islands * '' Aloe namorokaensis'' (Rauh.) - Madagascar * ''

Aloe occidentalis ''Aloe'' (; also written ''Aloë'') is a genus containing over 650 species of flowering succulent plants.WFO (2022): Aloe L. Published on the Internet;http://www.worldfloraonline.org/taxon/wfo-4000001341. Accessed on: 06 Nov 2022 The most wid ...

'' (H.Perr.) - Western half of Madagascar * '' Aloe oligophylla'' (Baker) - Madagascar * '' Aloe orientalis'' (H.Perr.) - Eastern half of Madagascar * '' Aloe pembana'' (Newton) -

Pemba Island Pemba Island ( ar, الجزيرة الخضراء ''al-Jazīra al-khadrā'', literally "The Green Island"; sw, Pemba kisiwa) is a Tanzanian island forming part of the Zanzibar Archipelago, lying within the Swahili Coast in the Indian Ocean. Geog ...

* '' Aloe propagulifera'' (Rauh) - Madagascar * '' Aloe prostrata'' (Perrier) - Madagascar * '' Aloe rosea'' (Perrier) - Madagascar * '' Aloe sakarahensis'' (Lavranos) - Madagascar * '' Aloe socialis'' (Perrier) - Madagascar * '' Aloe viviparum'' (Perrier) - Madagascar

Comparative species gallery

File:Aloe tormentorii - in cultivation in Mauritius.jpg, '' Aloe tormentorii'', Mauritius File:Lomatophyllum purpureum - Jardin d'Éden.JPG, ''

'', Mauritius File:Aloe macra.JPG, ''

'', Reunion File:Aloe citrea-IMG 6600.JPG, '' Aloe citrea'', Madagascar

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q20685865 Lomatophyllum Plant sections