Giant tree in a flat plain,
outside of Keetmanshop. |
|
This big member of the
Aloaceae* family was described by Carl Linnaeus the younger
in 1782. It is found in western South Africa
into Namibia, growing in a well drained soil with little
water and lots of sun. The stem can grow up to a 180 centimetres in diameter,
and raise to five or even nine meters. The flowers are yellow.
The different between A.
dichotoma and
A. pillansii, besides from the
oblivious different in adult appearance and the way the flowers
grow, is the colour of the edges of the leaves. A. dichotoma
have yellow thorns while
A. pillansii s thorns are
white. The flowers of A.
pillansii is rather hanging while A. dichotoma's
grow upwards. How exactly Louise Guthrie and Bernardus Joannes
Maria Zonneveld can claim it is the same species still remains to be
explained to me!
*) Aloaceae might be Asphodelaceae
now. |
