Life would succ without succulents

Aristaloe aristata Post number 4: back to succulents with Aristaloe aristata , or the ‘lace aloe’. Aristaloe aristata  used to be called Aloe aristata , until phylogenetic studies showed it is not an Aloe. Aristaloe aristata still appears under the name  Aloe aristata , and in fact it is labelled as this in some of my books- so be warned! Aloe is a huge genus, with over 500 species. Aloe normally have a rosette of leaves that are thick and fleshy. The name Aloe is a derivative of the Arabic word ‘alloeh’, which means shining bitter substance, which is accurate since Aloe leaves have a bitter sap. Studies have shown that Aristaloe aristata  is closely related to the Atroloba and Haworthia genus’ and not the Aloe genus. As a result, a new genus ‘Aristaloe’ was created to represent its uniqueness. Aristaloe aristata is the only species in the Aristaloe genus! So it is really unique! Aristata means bristly or awned and refers to the  Aristalo...