Aloe × buzairiensis - Cactus-Aventures International

Description of a new Nothotaxon in the<br />

genus <strong>Aloe</strong> (Asphodelaceae) in Socotra:<br />

<strong>Aloe</strong> <strong>×</strong> <strong>buzairiensis</strong> J. Lodé nothosp. nov.<br />

<strong>Aloe</strong> perryi Baker <strong>×</strong><strong>Aloe</strong> squarrosa Baker ex Balfour<br />

Joël Lodé (Spain)<br />

During one of my journeys to Socotra, Yemen,<br />

within the framework of the realization of my work<br />

on the “ Succulent Plants of Socotra ”, I had the<br />

occasion to visit many locations. One of these,<br />

Jabal Buzairi, is interesting in many respects,<br />

because it shelters the three species of <strong>Aloe</strong>s<br />

known on the island: <strong>Aloe</strong> perryi Baker, <strong>Aloe</strong><br />

squarrosa Baker ex Balfour, and the recently<br />

described <strong>Aloe</strong> jawiyon Christie, Hannon &<br />

Oakham. If it had been evoked of the<br />

possibility of a hybridization between A.<br />

perryi and A. jawiyon, a thing which I did<br />

not observe in the habitats I visited, but<br />

which was indicated by others (1), I did<br />

not expect to find a natural hybrid between<br />

A. perryi and A. squarrosa. The fact was<br />

confirmed by the discovery of several<br />

plants of different age, but with identical<br />

characteristics.<br />

<strong>Aloe</strong> x <strong>buzairiensis</strong>, habitat, Jabal Buzairi, Socotra<br />

(photo : JL).<br />

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CACTUS-AVENTURES <strong>International</strong> N° 85<br />

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While <strong>Aloe</strong> squarrosa is generally<br />

situated on the high parts of the mountain,<br />

at the edge of steep cliffs, at about 800-<br />

850m in altitude, the hybrid is at the base<br />

and at the beginning of the hillside, up to<br />

760m of alt. The oldest plants are growing<br />

in bushes of Buxus hildebrandtii, are<br />

typically branched out from the base and<br />

maculate as in A. squarrosa, but are very<br />

sturdy and almost one metre high, with a<br />

thick trunk about 20-25mm of diam.

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left : <strong>Aloe</strong> x <strong>buzairiensis</strong> type, right, <strong>Aloe</strong> squarrosa to compare, Jabal Buzairi, Socotra (photo : JL).<br />

The young plants are at first stemless and<br />

produce leaves rather bluish at the<br />

beginning, at first weakly maculate, with a<br />

very widened base. The population seems<br />

limited to some plants and is rather variable.<br />

The name given to the hybrid “<br />

<strong>buzairiensis</strong> “ makes reference to the place<br />

where it was discovered, Jabal Buzairi.<br />

Holotypus: in regione occidentale insulae<br />

Socotra (Jabal Buzairi, 764m alt.). Lecta ab<br />

Joël Lodé 26 oct 2009. (Herb. Fundación<br />

Joël Lodé n°1230512, Cuevas del<br />

Almanzora).<br />

Text & photos: J.L.<br />

e-mail: joel@cactus-aventures.com <strong>Aloe</strong> perryi, Jabal Buzairi, Socotra (photo : JL).<br />

BIBLIOGRAPHICAL REFERENCES:<br />

1). Christie S.J. et al.: “<strong>Aloe</strong> jawiyon, a new species from Soqotra (Yemen)”, Bradleya 23, 2005.<br />

2). Lode J.: “Succulent Plants of Socotra Handbook”, <strong>Cactus</strong>-Adv. Books, 2010.<br />

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CACTUS-AVENTURES <strong>International</strong> N° 85<br />

<strong>International</strong> CACTUS-ADVENTURES