Aloe lineata var. muirii is normally single-stemmed, rarely branched. When branching occurs, it may be low down, but not always. The leaves show longitudinal red lines as the specific name lineata suggests. The leaf margins have prominent red teeth, the blade surfaces are smooth.

The salmon pink (and here yellow) flowers grow in erect unbranched racemes. The last flower or perianth of any Aloe raceme to open is always right at its top or tip; flowering commencing with the lowermost ones.

Look at the surrounding vegetation of this Aloe: A plant may be effectively established in a habitat without resembling any of the other species around it. Still, it belongs there as its place in nature. From the perspective of the plant, its setting fits because it can survive the challenges posed and live in the available conditions. From a people perspective the plant may belong there because it has always been there.

Plants just live, decisions about domicile reflected simply in the fact of survival wherever chance had dropped the seed. Failure happens often, almost certainly when a seed lands naturally beyond the boundaries of the species distribution, unless the boundaries are being pushed. Many die even inside those boundaries for new life is also statistically a miracle. There is no brain available to plan for surmounting every conceivable obstacle. Becoming a plague, a weed, is also a brainless event, whenever conditions become too favourable.

People sometimes want to decide for everything they see about what should be. This delusion, feeling capable of improving on nature, may be overcome by better thinking.