Kingdom Plantae Clade Monocots Family Asphodelaceae Rank Species | Clade Angiosperms Order Asparagales Subfamily Asphodeloideae | |
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Similar Aloe microstigma, Aloe claviflora, Aloe dorotheae, Aloe aculeata, Aloe parvula | ||
Aloe melanacantha (locally known as the "Goree") is a rare species of succulent plant in the genus Aloe, from the arid Namaqualand areas of the western part of South Africa.
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Distribution
It is endemic to the Namaqualand, in the far west of South Africa. It has been recorded from Nieuwoudtville in the south, as far north as the Orange River on the Namibian border. Its natural habitats are dry shrubland and rocky areas.
Aloe melanacantha var. erinacea
This rare plant occurs in Namibia, just to the north of the Aloe melanacantha range, and is very closely related, being almost indistinguishable superficially. However A. erinacea is slightly smaller and it sometimes grows into dense clumps due to offsetting.
Depending on the authority, it is sometimes classified as a subspecies or variety of Aloe melanacantha, and sometimes as a closely related sister-species or even as part of a species continuum.