DESCRIPTION:--A shrub. _Branches_ tomentose, at length becoming glabrous. _Leaves_ 3·5 to 7 cm. long, 0·7 to 1·6 cm. broad (those surrounding the heads a little larger), oblong or oblong-lanceolate, with a blunt callous apex, slightly narrowed to a rather broad base, with 3 distinct veins from above the base, glabrous. _Male head_ sessile, 2·5 to 3 cm. long (including the flowers), 2·5 cm. in diameter, surrounded by about 8 series of involucral bracts. _Involucral bracts_ 1·15 to 1·3 cm. long, 8 to 8·5 mm. broad, oblong, the outer shortly cuspidate and with ciliated margins, inner rounded at the apex and without cilia, all glabrous. _Receptacle_ 1 cm. high, 1 cm. in diameter, club-shaped. _Perianth-tube_ 7 mm. long, somewhat compressed, glabrous; lobes 8 mm. long, linear, obtuse at the apex, glabrous. _Anthers_ 5 mm. long, linear. _Style_ 1·1 cm. long, terete, pilose below; stigma faintly two-lobed. _Female-head_ 1·6 cm. long, 2 cm. in diameter, surrounded by about 4 series of involucral bracts. _Involucral bracts_ 1·2 to 1·5 cm. long, up to 1·4 cm. broad, ovate, shortly cuspidate, obtuse, the outer ciliated, the inner without cilia, all glabrous. _Receptacle_ 1 cm. high, 6 mm. broad, conical. _Perianth-tube_ 8 mm. long, compressed, long-pilose; limb 2 mm. long, linear, obtuse, glabrous. _Staminodes_ 0·75 mm. long. _Ovary_ 1 mm. long, 0·75 mm. in diameter, ellipsoid, pilose; style 1 cm. long, linear, gradually narrowing to the base; stigma flat and oblique. PLATE 170.--Fig. 1, female head; Fig. 2, bract; Fig. 3, longitudinal section of female head; Fig. 4, female flower; Fig. 5, pistil; Fig. 6, male head; Fig. 7, bract; Fig. 8, longitudinal section of male head; Fig. 9, male flower. F.P.S.A., 1925. [Illustration: 171.] PLATE 171. ALOE MARLOTHII. _Transvaal._ LILACEAE. Tribe ALOINEAE. ALOE, _Linn._; _Benth. et Hook. f. Gen. Plant._ vol. iii. p. 776. * * * * * =Aloe Marlothii=, _Berger in Engl. Bot. Jahrb._ vol. xxxviii. p. 87. * * * * * _Aloe Marlothii_ is a very close ally of _A. ferox_ figured on Plate 169, but a careful comparison of the two will show points of difference which enables one to distinguish the two species. The inflorescence in _A. Marlothii_ has the primary branches horizontal and the flowers are more or less on one side of the axis, and not arranged so as to form a cylindric raceme, as in _A. ferox_. The leaves of the species also differ, those of _A. Marlothii_ being concave-convex in cross-section and with both the upper and lower surfaces bearing prickles, while in _A. ferox_ the leaf is biconvex in cross-section. Plants of _A. Marlothii_ up to 15 ft. high are often found, and they make a very ornamental show in the rockery. Our plate was prepared from specimens grown at the Division of Botany, Pretoria.