Aloe succotrina

Aloe succotrina, commonly known in Afrikaans as the bergaalwyn (mountain aloe) and sometimes the fynbos aloe, is often a multistemmed aloe that branches freely at the base, the stems short. It forms low, dense to large, shrubby clumps of attractive rosettes.  or grow erect, the branching sometimes dichotomous. Old dry leaves may persist.

Numerous arched to erect leaves form the dull green or grey-green rosettes, the leaf surfaces smooth. Small, whitish, triangular teeth occur only on the cartilaginous marginal borders. The leaves are occasionally spotted. The plant is stemless when young, developing mostly procumbent stems of up to a metre, sometimes erect ones.

The species distribution is in the far southwest of the Western Cape, from Hout Bay and Table Mountain to the slopes above Newlands in the Cape Peninsula and a separate population east of False Bay from the Steenbras River to Hermanus.

The habitat is sandstone and granite fynbos slopes, cliffs and ravines, also strandveld dunes. The species is not considered threatened in habitat early in the twenty first century.

As far as human usage is concerned, apart from popularity in the winter rainfall area gardens (it does not relish summer rainfall), the plant is recorded as providing a good purple dye from leaf sap (Frandsen, 2017; Smith, et al, 2017; Van Wyk and Gericke, 2007; Van Wyk and Smith, 2003; Reynolds, 1974; Jeppe, 1969; iNaturalist; http://redlist.sanbi.org).