Aloe massawana Reynolds

Very similar species

	Aloe vera	You are here Aloe massawana
Common Name	medicinal aloe
Plant	Medicinal aloe is by far the best known of the Aloe species, widely cultivated for its medicinal properties. Plants have short woody stems.	Plants are on the ground, with short stems or no discernible stems. They form clumps 1½–2′ (45–60 cm) tall and up to 9½′ (3 m) in diameter.
Leaves	Compact rosettes are 2–3′ (60–100 cm) tall. Leaves are alternate, 4–20″ long ⨉ ⅜–2½″ broad (10–50 ⨉ 1–7 cm), wider at the base and tapering to a tip. They are bluish or gray-green, occasionally mottled with purple or white spots, sometimes serrated with small teeth on leaf edges.	Leaves occur in rosettes as with other aloes and are green to gray-green, with thorny edges. Each leaf is 1½–3′ (50–90 cm) long, and 2–4″ (6–10 cm) wide at the base, tapering to a poiint. Leaves have small teeth that may be soft or firm.
Flowers	Inflorescences appear on a spike 3–5′ (1–1.5 m) tall. Usually the spike has scale-like bracts. Racemes of flowers are cylindrical, yellow or orange, with tubular corollas ¾–1″ (2–3 cm) long.	Scarlet, pale red to salmon-red flowers appear in cylindrical racemes on stalks 4–6½′ (1.2–2 m) tall. Usually there are two to three branches supporting flowers.
Fruit	Capsules are somewhat elongated, usually producing no seeds. It spreads primarily by offsets.	Ovoid dehiscent capsules are ¾ ⨉ ⅜″ (2 ⨉ 1.1 cm). They dry and split, releasing seeds.
Range/ Zones	USDA Zones: 9-11	USDA Zones: 9b-11
Habitats	Hammocks and sandy areas in arid climates.	Right on the beach front in the salt spray zone on coral outcrops. Also recorded in sandy soils, in grass and open thickets near the sea shore.

Aloe massawana description by Thomas H. Kent, not updated.

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