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Aloe aristata, commonly called serelei, meaning
the slippery one, also lace aloe and torch plant, is frequently mistaken
for a Haworthia when not in bloom. It is one of a group called
dwarf aloes which have extremely small rosettes of usually incurved
leaves. 'Aristata' means 'awned,' referring to the tips of the leaves,
but in this it is not much different from many aloes. The leaf surfaces
are marked by small white tuberculate bumps and the leaf margins are
armed by soft white teeth. This species typically produces flowers in
the month of November, and its range includes the Eastern and Western
Cape Provinces of South Africa, the Orange Free State (now just called
Free State), Lesotho, and KwaZulu-Natal. They are stemless and usually
occur in groups of up to a dozen or so rosettes. The inflorescences
are branched and the flowers are a dull red to pinkish, tubular in shape
and curved downwards.
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