Notices for Users of the Albums

1. New Albums and some changes

 

The latest Albums on genera of South African plants added to the Operation Wildflower Site are the ones on Cyrtanthus, Dicoma and Strumaria. This means that photos and stories of plants belonging to these genera already on the Site, together with some new ones, have been moved from the more general Albums called Bulbs and Herbs respectively into their own new Albums under Genera. 

 

There is a genus Album in every case where enough material has been accumulated to warrant a stand-alone grouping of photos and stories. There are now more than 220 such genera Albums. The biggest ones (most photos) belong to the genera Crassula, Euphorbia, Pelargonium, Aloe and Erica. Keep watching, more will be added. If there is no genus Album yet on the plant you are looking for, check under Types, the grouping that the Site was started off with, accessible via the pictured items shown on the right. The Search Box may yield more, for plants and related material are also shown in Albums on Habitat, Regions and Parks and Gardens.

 

In order to access items on a plant of interest, enter its botanical name in the Search Box. Entering other words or names will access what is contained in the Albums database. The latest Regions Album is the one on Nature's Valley and the latest Parks and Gardens Album is on Tietiesbaai also known as the Cape Columbine Nature Reserve.

 

2. Want to talk about a plant or an Album item?

 

There is a new way of communicating with the Editor of this Site regarding any of the Album Items.
Comments, questions, corrections, information and suggestions can be put to the Editor by using the following email address: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

 

Please ensure that the Album Item concerned is clearly identified. Type its exact title as well as the Album Name in the Subject Line of your email. Please also state your name.

 

Similarly, communication regarding the functioning or technical aspects of the Site can be directed to the Webmaster at: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

 

3. Reduced Mobile Site for Cell Phone Users

 

Operation Wildflower now also offers a reduced Mobile Site for cell phone use that only presents the Albums contents. This is aimed at overcoming display difficulties on some of the mobile devices in use for quick reference. The reduction found in the Mobile Site doesn't affect the full set of photos and stories of Operation Wildflower, only in diminishing the Site's secondary details that may make it hard to access the items on a small screen.

 

It is best to use the normal or full Operation Wildflower Site on computers, iPads and devices with bigger screens, as well as those that present unimpaired display of full details and access to all material on offer.

 

Should viewing difficulties be experienced on your device, click here to access the Mobile Site.

 

4. Subject Index

 

A Subject Index of a selection of topics touched on in Album Item text has been started, other than plant species. Access it via Information.

 

The Album Item Title should be clicked upon to open the Item dealing with the Topic.

 

Check in the Search Box for yet more subjects not added to the Subject Index list yet.

 

Aloe marlothii

Botanical name

Aloe marlothii

Other names

Bergaalwyn (Afrikaans); umHlaba (Zulu); Kgopha (Sotho); Aloe spectabilis

Family

Asphodelaceae

Dimensions

Tree aloe, 2 to 6 m in height, with a wide and imposing single rosette

Description of stem

Single-stemmed upright, dry leaves persist on older plants below the rosette, but not to ground level

Description of leaves

Broad, succulent leaves, up to 1,5 m long and 25 cm wide at the base, tapering; grey-green to yellow-green; covered with thorns on both surfaces and red-brown spines on the edges

Description of flowers

The inflorescence is multiply branched with up to 30 outwardly slanted or horizontal racemes (the inflorescence may sometimes reach an exceptional size); flowers often orange-red, varying from red to yellow, occasionally two-toned;·flowering in winter

Description of seed/fruit

Fruit a lily-seed resembling capsule

Description of roots

 

Variation

The density of spines on the leaf surfaces; leaf and flower colour

Propagation and cultivation

Propagates from seed without difficulty in hot summer rainfall conditions; choose well-drained, full sun sites and plant with ample compost; transplants easily, even in the case of very small plants; roots or stem base does not have to be retained upon transplanting, other than for assisting balancing the plant; withstands varying rainfall and a wide range of temperatures

Tolerances

Drought and moderate cold resistant

Uses

Garden plants; limited medicinal use occurs of leaf sap in treating ailments such as roundworm and tapeworm; grounded leaf-powder (or ash) has been reported to be useful as a snuff admixture; kudus have been found to browse the leaves in conditions of extreme drought in spite of the thorny defence; hybridises readily with various other aloes

Ecological rarity

Not threatened

Pests and diseases

Prone to infestation with white scale insects that can be treated by applying a mixture of methylated spirits and soap or aerosol insecticides

Other

Aloe spectabilis from Kwazulu-Natal, with its racemes more erect, is lately regarded as part of A. marlothii

Location

Grassland, bushveld, wooded and rocky hills, mountainous areas

Distribution (SA provinces)

Mpumalanga, Gauteng, North West, Limpopo, Kwazulu-Natal

Country

South Africa, Swaziland, Mozambique, Zimbabwe

[Information from www.plantzafrica.com]


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