Gonialoe variegata, a false variegated aloe

Discovered in 1685 in Namibia and South Africa, Aloe variegata has long belonged to the Aloe genus. But in 2014, the species was renamed Gonialoe variegata and became part of a new genus in the large Asphodelaceae family. It now forms the genus Gonialoe alongside Gonialoe sladeniana, Gonialoe dinteri and Gonialoe borealis.

Gonialoe variegata is a succulent plant that grows to no more than 30 centimetres in height. It produces numerous shoots and, after a few years, forms dense bushes.

The plant is acaule. It forms a rosetteof around twenty leaves. They are arranged in three rows, each comprising between six and eight leaf blades.

The thick, rigid leaves are V-shaped, with a central gutter, and measure between 15 and 20 centimetres long. Dark green, they are edged with white. White, light-green or pale-yellow dots run through them, forming horizontal lines. The plant has no spines, but the margins of the leaf blades are finely serrated.

In its native habitat, Gonialoe variegata flowers in winter. A floral spike 20 to 30 centimetres high appears at the heart of the rosette. It is crowned by a cluster of pink or salmon flowers.

The fruit is a capsule. When ripe, it splits into three to release its winged seeds.

Aloe variegata is not harmful to humans. Some even claim it has medicinal properties. However, it is toxic to animals such as cats. Ingested, the plant causes digestive problems.