Aloe comptonii leaves

The leaves of Aloe comptonii are the largest among leaves of the South African creeping aloes. This is a robust species growing on summer-arid slopes. The broadly triangular leaves taper to narrowly pointed, sturdy tips.

The creamy white teeth do not only appear on the leaf margins, but also along the keel on the lower leaf surface. And sometimes in a second row where a faint additional keel may lurk! An occasional tooth may even be seen growing out of line… for the Aloe orthodontist to attend to! Some leaves do not have teeth on the keel; on others the row that starts at the tip reaches far down or consists of only a couple. The plant's earlier name of A. parvispina meaning small spines in Latin highlighted the teeth.

The leaf sap of this Aloe is deep yellow to orange (Van Wyk and Smith, 2003; Reynolds, 1974; Jeppe, 1969; iNaturalist).