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Aloe pembana (previously Lomatophyllum pembanum) is a species of Aloe indigenous to the island of Pemba and surrounding islets, off the coast of Tanzania.
Contents
It is part of a group of aloes which bear fleshy berries, and were therefore classed as a separate group, Lomatophyllum.
Description
It forms short, erect stems, offsets and suckers from its base, and forms large clumps. Its leaves are a shiny green with white margins and teeth. Its multi-branched inflorescence bears red flowers in racemes, and its seeds develop in fleshy berries.
This species is related to Aloe aldabrensis, but differs by its growth into dense clumps, its flower colour, and its longer inflorescence. It was only fully discovered in 1995.
Distribution
While it was formerly widespread across Pemba and surrounding islands, it now only occurs on Misali island, off the Pemba coast, where it grows in dappled shade in the sandy coastal scrub.
It occurs over an extremely small area, with only a few hundred individual plants remaining in the wild. It is threatened by habitat degradation, trampling by fishermen and collection for traditional medicine.