Aloe striata young leaves

The big, broad leaves of Aloe striata, positioned on the ground in a large, dense rosette are very conspicuous in the often arid habitat this aloe shares with mostly small-leaved plants. The leaves vary in colour depending on the locality of the specimen and prevailing climatic conditions, from blue-green and grey-green to yellow-green.

Leaf shape also varies from broad and oblong to lanceolate-attenuate or markedly tapering to a narrow tip. The upper surface is nearly flat at the base, convex below. The leaf surface is marked by thin, longitudinal lines, i.e. running almost parallel between the tip and the base. The specific name striata refers to this feature.

The upper leaf surface may rarely show some spots as well. The margins are pinkish with a rigid, smooth or almost smooth edge and not toothed, unlike the leaves of so many aloes. There may be 12 to 20 leaves in a mature rosette. Leaf sap is opaque and yellow (Euston-Brown and Kruger, 2023; Vlok and Schutte-Vlok, 2015; Reynolds, 1974; Jeppe, 1969).