Aloe verecunda

Aloe verecunda, sometimes called the Rand grass aloe, is a short-stemmed grass aloe, a small plant that grows solitary or forms clumps, reaching heights around 30 cm. The specific name verecunda is a Latin word meaning shy or modest, probably referring to the small plant being concealed by the grass and rocks around it. The roots are spindle-shaped.

There is an uncommon, light coloured flower form referred to by some sources. The flowering time of this aloe is supposed to be summer, but do not be surprised to find flowers at other times. The deciduous feature of the leaves seems to only occur sporadically.

The species distribution is north of the Vaal River in four disjunct or separate regions: Gauteng, particularly on the Magaliesberg and the Witwatersrand, the centre of Limpopo in the Soutpansberg and the Wolkberg, the centre of Mpumalanga near Middelburg and the southeast of Mpumalanga near Piet Retief; also slightly into the west of Eswatini.

The habitat is rocky ridges and hilltops in grassland, the plants sometimes coping with little soil in the rock crevices. The plants escape both frost and fire assisted by the rocks around them. The (summer) rainfall is around 750 mm per annum in much of the region. The species is not considered threatened in habitat early in the twenty first century (Frandsen, 2017; Craib, et al, 2005; Van Wyk and Smith, 2003; Reynolds, 1974; Jeppe, 1969; http://redlist.sanbi.org).