Aloe commixta
Encyclopedia
Aloe commixta or the Peninsula Rambling Aloe is a rare climbing aloe
that is endemic to southwestern South Africa
. It naturally occurs only on the Table Mountain range
, within the city of Cape Town
.
It is listed as Vulnerable
on the IUCN global Red List
.
. This beautiful "accent plant" rarely gets over 1 metres (3.3 ft) tall, as its slender stems tend to sprawl along the ground and over rocks.
Aloe commixta flower
s in late winter. A stout inflorescence shoots up, bearing reddish erect buds that open into dense, bright orange or yellow flowers. In its natural habitat in the fynbos
vegetation of Table Mountain
, its flowers are pollinated by sunbird
s and honey bee
s. The orange-yellow flowers of Aloe commixta are much larger than those of other climbing aloes
, and are bunched together more densely at the top of the raceme
.
The leaves are thick, fleshy and evenly-spaced on a fine stem with distinctive green stripes on the internodes. The leaves tend to be about 200 mm long, with tiny white deltoid teeth along the margins. A. commixta is easily identified by its straight, wide, succulent leaves, that do not recurve downwards (as in the case of many other climbing aloes
), and by the unique and distinguishing subcapitate raceme
of its flowers.
's very own unique Aloe
, this species is indigenous (and endemic) to the Cape Peninsula
. Within this tiny natural range, Aloe commixta is particularly concentrated in the central region of the Peninsula, in the area around Kommetjie
, Kalk Bay
, Fishhoek, Simonstown and Miller's Point
(although smaller, outlying populations exist elsewhere on the Table Mountain chain). This elegant little aloe is also one of only two aloes (the other being Aloe succotrina
) that are indigenous to the city of Cape Town
.
Within its natural habitat it is very hardy, and survives both frost and fire. Similar to its relatives A.gracilis
and A.juddii
, A.commixta is a resprouter. The ability to re-sprout after being burnt to the ground is an adaptation to the fire-prone Fynbos
habitat.
Part of the "Macrifoliae"
group of multi-branched climbing aloes, its nearest relative is large and robust Aloe striatula
of the Eastern Cape
mountains. Another close relative is Aloe juddii
, a rare little aloe
species which is confined to a few rocky outcrops on a farm near Cape Agulhas
.
and their high, inaccessible habitat is usually too steep and rocky to be used for agriculture or development.
The major threat to this species comes from invasive alien plants – chief among these “Rooikrans” (Acacia cyclops)
from Australia
which, until recently, blanketed the slopes of the Cape Peninsula. South African National Parks
has now brought this infestation under control and the Aloes are slowly returning to their natural habitat. However the weed clearance will require several follow ups in order to be completed, otherwise the highly invasive Acacias
will rapidly return and cover these slopes again, driving Aloe commixta (as well as other endemics) to extinction.
A more minor threat comes from the increasing human traffic across the peninsula. The aloes lie low to the ground, and even light human trampling kills them.
This plant is listed as Vulnerable (VU)
on IUCN's global Red Data List
, which reports that there are currently only a few hundred plants in existence.
so, in growing it, one should try to replicate the mediterranean-type climate
of its original Table Mountain
home. This means winter rainfall; Aloe commixta does not do well in tropical or summer rainfall areas. It also prefers sandy soils that are slightly acidic, although this is not essential and it can survive in most soil types. Unlike most aloes, it tolerates some light shade as well.
It naturally grows very well in Cape Town gardens
(especially rocky ones) - as it is perfectly adapted to the environment - and it looks attractive sprawling over stonewall terraces, or rambling down rocky slopes and over boulders. It produces striking, bright orange or yellow flowers in the winter. This makes it a useful ornamental plant for adding colour to the garden at a time of the year when most other plants are not in flower.
When the sprawling stems become too long and untidy, it is best to prune the plant right down (this simulates the effects of a veldfire in its natural habitat). The plant will re-grow denser & bushier than before, and the cuttings from this valuable Aloe can then be re-planted (or given to plant collectors).
Cuttings (truncheons) are also the easiest way to propagate Aloe commixta. Allow the cuttings to dry for a few days, and then simply insert them into sandy soil. Like most aloes, this species has both male and female flowers on each plant, but an individual plant is not self-fertile. The seeds germinate in semi-shade, in cool (25-35 °C), well-drained, slightly-acidic sand.
, the oldest known inhabitants of the Cape. Later, it was one of the first aloes to be cultivated by the Dutch East India Company
in its "Company's Gardens". The juice, acquired by boiling fresh leaves in water, has traditionally served as a laxative.
The active ingredients that are supposedly responsible for the plant's medicinal qualities are the compounds known as aloin
(from the sap) as well as complex polysaccharide
s and glycoprotein
s (from the pulp).
Index: Fynbos - habitats and species.
Aloe ser. Macrifoliae
Aloe ser. Macrifoliae is a taxonomic series within the genus Aloe, comprising seven closely related species of Southern African climbing aloe. These aloes are typically multi-branched climbing or sprawling shrubs, with long spindly stems and a large woody base on the ground...
that is endemic to southwestern South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
. It naturally occurs only on the Table Mountain range
Table Mountain
Table Mountain is a flat-topped mountain forming a prominent landmark overlooking the city of Cape Town in South Africa, and is featured in the flag of Cape Town and other local government insignia. It is a significant tourist attraction, with many visitors using the cableway or hiking to the top...
, within the city of Cape Town
Cape Town
Cape Town is the second-most populous city in South Africa, and the provincial capital and primate city of the Western Cape. As the seat of the National Parliament, it is also the legislative capital of the country. It forms part of the City of Cape Town metropolitan municipality...
.
It is listed as Vulnerable
Vulnerable species
On 30 January 2010, the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species identified 9694 Vulnerable species, subspecies and varieties, stocks and sub-populations.-References:...
on the IUCN global Red List
IUCN Red List
The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species , founded in 1963, is the world's most comprehensive inventory of the global conservation status of biological species. The International Union for Conservation of Nature is the world's main authority on the conservation status of species...
.
Description
Aloe commixta is a rambling, multi-stemmed aloeAloe
Aloe , also Aloë, is a genus containing about 500 species of flowering succulent plants. The most common and well known of these is Aloe vera, or "true aloe"....
. This beautiful "accent plant" rarely gets over 1 metres (3.3 ft) tall, as its slender stems tend to sprawl along the ground and over rocks.
Aloe commixta flower
Flower
A flower, sometimes known as a bloom or blossom, is the reproductive structure found in flowering plants . The biological function of a flower is to effect reproduction, usually by providing a mechanism for the union of sperm with eggs...
s in late winter. A stout inflorescence shoots up, bearing reddish erect buds that open into dense, bright orange or yellow flowers. In its natural habitat in the fynbos
Fynbos
Fynbos is the natural shrubland or heathland vegetation occurring in a small belt of the Western Cape of South Africa, mainly in winter rainfall coastal and mountainous areas with a Mediterranean climate...
vegetation of Table Mountain
Table Mountain
Table Mountain is a flat-topped mountain forming a prominent landmark overlooking the city of Cape Town in South Africa, and is featured in the flag of Cape Town and other local government insignia. It is a significant tourist attraction, with many visitors using the cableway or hiking to the top...
, its flowers are pollinated by sunbird
Sunbird
The sunbirds and spiderhunters are a family, Nectariniidae, of very small passerine birds. There are 132 species in 15 genera. The family is distributed throughout Africa, southern Asia and just reaches northern Australia. Most sunbirds feed largely on nectar, but also take insects and spiders,...
s and honey bee
Honey bee
Honey bees are a subset of bees in the genus Apis, primarily distinguished by the production and storage of honey and the construction of perennial, colonial nests out of wax. Honey bees are the only extant members of the tribe Apini, all in the genus Apis...
s. The orange-yellow flowers of Aloe commixta are much larger than those of other climbing aloes
Aloe ser. Macrifoliae
Aloe ser. Macrifoliae is a taxonomic series within the genus Aloe, comprising seven closely related species of Southern African climbing aloe. These aloes are typically multi-branched climbing or sprawling shrubs, with long spindly stems and a large woody base on the ground...
, and are bunched together more densely at the top of the raceme
Raceme
A raceme is a type of inflorescence that is unbranched and indeterminate and bears pedicellate flowers — flowers having short floral stalks called pedicels — along the axis. In botany, axis means a shoot, in this case one bearing the flowers. In a raceme, the oldest flowers are borne...
.
The leaves are thick, fleshy and evenly-spaced on a fine stem with distinctive green stripes on the internodes. The leaves tend to be about 200 mm long, with tiny white deltoid teeth along the margins. A. commixta is easily identified by its straight, wide, succulent leaves, that do not recurve downwards (as in the case of many other climbing aloes
Aloe ser. Macrifoliae
Aloe ser. Macrifoliae is a taxonomic series within the genus Aloe, comprising seven closely related species of Southern African climbing aloe. These aloes are typically multi-branched climbing or sprawling shrubs, with long spindly stems and a large woody base on the ground...
), and by the unique and distinguishing subcapitate raceme
Raceme
A raceme is a type of inflorescence that is unbranched and indeterminate and bears pedicellate flowers — flowers having short floral stalks called pedicels — along the axis. In botany, axis means a shoot, in this case one bearing the flowers. In a raceme, the oldest flowers are borne...
of its flowers.
Distribution
Cape TownCape Town
Cape Town is the second-most populous city in South Africa, and the provincial capital and primate city of the Western Cape. As the seat of the National Parliament, it is also the legislative capital of the country. It forms part of the City of Cape Town metropolitan municipality...
's very own unique Aloe
Aloe
Aloe , also Aloë, is a genus containing about 500 species of flowering succulent plants. The most common and well known of these is Aloe vera, or "true aloe"....
, this species is indigenous (and endemic) to the Cape Peninsula
Cape Peninsula
The Cape Peninsula is a generally rocky peninsula that juts out for 75 km into the Atlantic Ocean at the south-western extremity of the African continent. At the southern end of the peninsula are Cape Point and the Cape of Good Hope...
. Within this tiny natural range, Aloe commixta is particularly concentrated in the central region of the Peninsula, in the area around Kommetjie
Kommetjie
Kommetjie is a suburb of Cape Town, in the Western Cape province of South Africa...
, Kalk Bay
Kalk Bay
Kalk Bay is a fishing village on the coast of False Bay, South Africa and is now a suburb of greater Cape Town. It lies in a beautiful setting, wedged between the ocean and sharply rising mountainous heights that are buttressed by crags of grey sandstone...
, Fishhoek, Simonstown and Miller's Point
Miller's Point, Western Cape
Miller's Point is a headland and stretch of protected coastline in South Africa. It is located about south of Simon's Town on the road to Cape Point.-History:...
(although smaller, outlying populations exist elsewhere on the Table Mountain chain). This elegant little aloe is also one of only two aloes (the other being Aloe succotrina
Aloe succotrina
Aloe succotrina, the Fynbos aloe, is an endemic aloe of the Western Cape, in southwestern South Africa.-Distribution:Aloe succotrina is naturally found on the Cape Peninsula, and as far as Mossel Bay to the east...
) that are indigenous to the city of Cape Town
Cape Town
Cape Town is the second-most populous city in South Africa, and the provincial capital and primate city of the Western Cape. As the seat of the National Parliament, it is also the legislative capital of the country. It forms part of the City of Cape Town metropolitan municipality...
.
Within its natural habitat it is very hardy, and survives both frost and fire. Similar to its relatives A.gracilis
Aloe gracilis
Aloe gracilis is a climbing aloe, endemic to the area around the city of Port Elizabeth, South Africa. Its natural range lies just to the west of the related climbing aloe Aloe ciliaris, and it occurs in bushy fynbos and thickets, and clustered on rocky outcrops at all altitudes.-Appearance:Its...
and A.juddii
Aloe juddii
Aloe juddii is a newly discovered climbing aloe that is native to a few rocky outcrops and a farm , near to Cape Agulhas in the Western Cape, South Africa....
, A.commixta is a resprouter. The ability to re-sprout after being burnt to the ground is an adaptation to the fire-prone Fynbos
Fynbos
Fynbos is the natural shrubland or heathland vegetation occurring in a small belt of the Western Cape of South Africa, mainly in winter rainfall coastal and mountainous areas with a Mediterranean climate...
habitat.
Part of the "Macrifoliae"
Aloe ser. Macrifoliae
Aloe ser. Macrifoliae is a taxonomic series within the genus Aloe, comprising seven closely related species of Southern African climbing aloe. These aloes are typically multi-branched climbing or sprawling shrubs, with long spindly stems and a large woody base on the ground...
group of multi-branched climbing aloes, its nearest relative is large and robust Aloe striatula
Aloe striatula
Aloe striatula is a sturdy climbing aloe that naturally occurs on the summits of mountains along the south of the Karoo region of South Africa...
of the Eastern Cape
Eastern Cape
The Eastern Cape is a province of South Africa. Its capital is Bhisho, but its two largest cities are Port Elizabeth and East London. It was formed in 1994 out of the "independent" Xhosa homelands of Transkei and Ciskei, together with the eastern portion of the Cape Province...
mountains. Another close relative is Aloe juddii
Aloe juddii
Aloe juddii is a newly discovered climbing aloe that is native to a few rocky outcrops and a farm , near to Cape Agulhas in the Western Cape, South Africa....
, a rare little aloe
Aloe
Aloe , also Aloë, is a genus containing about 500 species of flowering succulent plants. The most common and well known of these is Aloe vera, or "true aloe"....
species which is confined to a few rocky outcrops on a farm near Cape Agulhas
Cape Agulhas
Cape Agulhas is a rocky headland in the Western Cape, South Africa. It is the geographic southern tip of Africa and the official dividing point between the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
.
Threats and conservation
This threatened species is restricted to very small area, surrounded by suburbs in the middle of a city of 3.5 million people. However most of the known plants are located within Table Mountain National Park (TMNP)Table Mountain National Park
Table Mountain National Park, previously known as the Cape Peninsula National Park, is a national park in Cape Town, South Africa, proclaimed on May 29, 1998, for the purpose of protecting the natural environment of the Table Mountain Chain, and in particular the rare fynbos vegetation...
and their high, inaccessible habitat is usually too steep and rocky to be used for agriculture or development.
The major threat to this species comes from invasive alien plants – chief among these “Rooikrans” (Acacia cyclops)
Acacia cyclops
Acacia cyclops, commonly known as red-eyed wattle or western coastal wattle, is a coastal shrub or small tree in the family Fabaceae...
from Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
which, until recently, blanketed the slopes of the Cape Peninsula. South African National Parks
South African National Parks
South African National Parks is the body responsible for managing South Africa's national parks. SANParks was formed in 1926, and currently manages 20 parks consisting of , about 3% of the total area of South Africa....
has now brought this infestation under control and the Aloes are slowly returning to their natural habitat. However the weed clearance will require several follow ups in order to be completed, otherwise the highly invasive Acacias
Acacia cyclops
Acacia cyclops, commonly known as red-eyed wattle or western coastal wattle, is a coastal shrub or small tree in the family Fabaceae...
will rapidly return and cover these slopes again, driving Aloe commixta (as well as other endemics) to extinction.
A more minor threat comes from the increasing human traffic across the peninsula. The aloes lie low to the ground, and even light human trampling kills them.
This plant is listed as Vulnerable (VU)
Vulnerable species
On 30 January 2010, the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species identified 9694 Vulnerable species, subspecies and varieties, stocks and sub-populations.-References:...
on IUCN's global Red Data List
IUCN Red List
The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species , founded in 1963, is the world's most comprehensive inventory of the global conservation status of biological species. The International Union for Conservation of Nature is the world's main authority on the conservation status of species...
, which reports that there are currently only a few hundred plants in existence.
Cultivation
This aloe is endemic to Cape TownCape Town
Cape Town is the second-most populous city in South Africa, and the provincial capital and primate city of the Western Cape. As the seat of the National Parliament, it is also the legislative capital of the country. It forms part of the City of Cape Town metropolitan municipality...
so, in growing it, one should try to replicate the mediterranean-type climate
Mediterranean climate
A Mediterranean climate is the climate typical of most of the lands in the Mediterranean Basin, and is a particular variety of subtropical climate...
of its original Table Mountain
Table Mountain
Table Mountain is a flat-topped mountain forming a prominent landmark overlooking the city of Cape Town in South Africa, and is featured in the flag of Cape Town and other local government insignia. It is a significant tourist attraction, with many visitors using the cableway or hiking to the top...
home. This means winter rainfall; Aloe commixta does not do well in tropical or summer rainfall areas. It also prefers sandy soils that are slightly acidic, although this is not essential and it can survive in most soil types. Unlike most aloes, it tolerates some light shade as well.
It naturally grows very well in Cape Town gardens
Cape Town
Cape Town is the second-most populous city in South Africa, and the provincial capital and primate city of the Western Cape. As the seat of the National Parliament, it is also the legislative capital of the country. It forms part of the City of Cape Town metropolitan municipality...
(especially rocky ones) - as it is perfectly adapted to the environment - and it looks attractive sprawling over stonewall terraces, or rambling down rocky slopes and over boulders. It produces striking, bright orange or yellow flowers in the winter. This makes it a useful ornamental plant for adding colour to the garden at a time of the year when most other plants are not in flower.
When the sprawling stems become too long and untidy, it is best to prune the plant right down (this simulates the effects of a veldfire in its natural habitat). The plant will re-grow denser & bushier than before, and the cuttings from this valuable Aloe can then be re-planted (or given to plant collectors).
Cuttings (truncheons) are also the easiest way to propagate Aloe commixta. Allow the cuttings to dry for a few days, and then simply insert them into sandy soil. Like most aloes, this species has both male and female flowers on each plant, but an individual plant is not self-fertile. The seeds germinate in semi-shade, in cool (25-35 °C), well-drained, slightly-acidic sand.
Traditional uses
This aloe was known and used medicinally by the KhoiKhoi
Khoi may refer to:*The common name of Siamese Rough Bush, Streblus asper Lour*The Khoikhoi people*One of the Khoe languages*The Khoekhoe language*Khoy, a city in Iran*Khoy County, an administrative subdivision of Iran...
, the oldest known inhabitants of the Cape. Later, it was one of the first aloes to be cultivated by the Dutch East India Company
Dutch East India Company
The Dutch East India Company was a chartered company established in 1602, when the States-General of the Netherlands granted it a 21-year monopoly to carry out colonial activities in Asia...
in its "Company's Gardens". The juice, acquired by boiling fresh leaves in water, has traditionally served as a laxative.
The active ingredients that are supposedly responsible for the plant's medicinal qualities are the compounds known as aloin
Aloin
Aloin, also known as Barbaloin, is a bitter, yellow-brown colored compound noted in the exudate of at least 68 Aloe species at levels from 0.1 to 6.6% of leaf dry weight , and in another 17 species at indeterminate levels [Reynolds, 1995b]...
(from the sap) as well as complex polysaccharide
Polysaccharide
Polysaccharides are long carbohydrate molecules, of repeated monomer units joined together by glycosidic bonds. They range in structure from linear to highly branched. Polysaccharides are often quite heterogeneous, containing slight modifications of the repeating unit. Depending on the structure,...
s and glycoprotein
Glycoprotein
Glycoproteins are proteins that contain oligosaccharide chains covalently attached to polypeptide side-chains. The carbohydrate is attached to the protein in a cotranslational or posttranslational modification. This process is known as glycosylation. In proteins that have segments extending...
s (from the pulp).
See also
- Biodiversity of Cape TownBiodiversity of Cape Town- Floristic region :The city of Cape Town lies within the Cape Floristic Kingdom . - Vegetation types :...
- Cape Floristic RegionCape floristic regionThe Cape Floristic Region is a floristic region located near the southern tip of South Africa. It is the only floristic region of the Cape Floristic Kingdom, and includes only one floristic province, known as the Cape Floristic Province.The Cape Floristic Region, the smallest of the six recognised...
Index: Fynbos - habitats and species.
- Table Mountain National ParkTable Mountain National ParkTable Mountain National Park, previously known as the Cape Peninsula National Park, is a national park in Cape Town, South Africa, proclaimed on May 29, 1998, for the purpose of protecting the natural environment of the Table Mountain Chain, and in particular the rare fynbos vegetation...