Aloe tormentorii

Aloe tormentorii
A large specimen growing on Ile aux Aigrettes
Conservation status
NE
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
Clade:	Angiosperms
Clade:	Monocots
Order:	Asparagales
Family:	Asphodelaceae
Subfamily:	Asphodeloideae
Genus:	Aloe
Species:	A. tormentorii
Binomial name
Aloe tormentorii (Marais) L.E.Newton & G.D.Rowley

Aloe tormentorii (previously Lomatophyllum tormentorii. Locally known as the "Mazambron") is a species of Aloe endemic to the island of Mauritius, in the Indian Ocean.

It is one of only two Aloes to naturally occur in Mauritius - the other being the tall growing Aloe purpurea. It is part of a group of aloes which bear fleshy berries, and were therefore classed as a separate group, "Lomatophyllum". Within this group, it is closely related to Madagascan Aloe occidentalis (which can be distinguished by having longer leaves, shorter inflorescence, and longer perianths, than Aloe tormentorii).

Description

Detail of flowers

Aloe tormentorii (right), compared to Aloe purpurea (left), the other endemic Mauritian Aloe, which has thinner, reddish, recurved leaves

Plants with berries in Bras d'Eau National Park

It has long straight or mildly curved lanceolate succulent leaves, which are a turquoise green and occasionally show a reddish margin. Its inflorescence is usually multi-branched with orange-reddish, green-tipped flowers and, unusually for aloes, it bears fleshy globose berries as its fruits. Its berries, which become orange when ripe, are eaten by the endemic lizard species Telfair’s skink which distributes the aloe's seeds.

Occasionally it can subdivide in offsets and older plants can even develop a thick decumbent stem. Usually however it is short and solitary.

It can sometimes be confused with the other Aloe species to naturally occur in Mauritius - Aloe purpurea - but A. tormentorii does not grow on a tall stem, and its flowers are red-orange (rather than yellow-pink).

Distribution

Once widespread in Mauritius, it is now restricted to two tiny rocky islets that lie to the north of Mauritius (Round Island and Gunners Quoin). Here its habitat is on exposed rocky slopes and outcrops which are relatively dryer than the habitat of its closest relatives such as Aloe purpurea. It has recently also been reintroduced to the tiny islet of Ile aux Aigrettes to the south east of Mauritius.

Its species name "tormentorii" is from the Latin word for a cannon, and refers to the location of its type locality on Gunners Quoin.^[1][2]

References

1. U.Eggli: Illustrated Handbook of Succulent Plants: Monocotyledons: Monocotyledons Springer Science & Business Media. 2001.
2. Wessel Marais : The extra-Madagascan species of Lomatophyllum (Liliaceae). In: Kew Bulletin. Band 29, Nummer 4, 1974, S. 721–723.