Aloe gariepensis big rosette

Some exceptionally large Aloe gariepensis plants occur west of Upington towards Keimoes. Branching and clump-forming are not common in this species. Neither is a notably large stem, although stemmed plants are seen. The yellow-green leaves are always longitudinally lined.

The brush-like, widest sections of open flowers in the raceme centres are still far below the long, thin and sharply pointed tips of tightly clustered buds waiting their turn above. Below the open flowers there is a narrower section where collapsed perianths of finished flowers are turning into fruit.

Further down, the bare peduncle is sparsely covered in scattered, sterile bracts, dry and membranous with many vein lines across them. The lowest of these bracts may be as long as 3,5 cm and 2 cm wide (Frandsen, 2017; Van Wyk and Smith, 2003; Reynolds, 1974; iNaturalist).