Aloiampelos

Aloiampelos is a genus of shrubby, aloe-like plants in the Asphodelaceae family. The genus was separated from Aloe around 2013, based on the outcome of molecular studies that indicated different evolutionary ancestry for the group. The name is derived from Aloe and Ampelos, the latter a Greek word meaning grapevine, the combination descriptive of these scrambling plants.

Some of the plants are erect, others rambling, spreading or sprawling, often irregular in shape. Branching of the often spindly stems starts in some just below ground level. Old stems may grow young sprouts from leaf axils.

The succulent leaves form stem-tip rosettes and are spaced lower on the stems, showing bare internodes. The soft leaves are often narrowly triangular and flattish or channelled, sometimes with upcurved or downcurved tips. The blades are smooth with soft, small, marginal teeth only. Various shades of green are present on the blades that may be dull, shiny or waxy.

The inflorescences of some species are branched, the others single racemes. The racemes are cylindrical, conical or capitate. The red, orange or yellow perianths appear in different seasons, some with differently coloured tips and some borne horizontally. The tubular perianths have six tepals each, arranged in two whorls of three. There are six stamens in a perianth, their filaments emerging from below the superior ovary in the tube base. The style is erect on the ovary, its stigma tiny.

The about seven recognised species of Aloiampelos all grow in southern Africa. The habitat varies from montane to coastal, karoid to fynbos, the soils sometimes sandy. The plants are widely used in horticulture.

The plant in picture is Aloiampelos ciliaris (Smith, et al, 2017; Hankey and Winter, undated; Wikipedia).