RUBINA AKHTER and SHAHINA A. GHAZANFAR

Stem reduced. Leaves forming a rosette, curving outwards, the ends drooping, more than 1 m long, widest about the middle, neck not sharply constricted. green, sometimes glaucous, often with pale yellow borders or otherwise variegated, shallowly channelled only at the apical region. Apical spine c. 1 cm, dark reddish brown-black, marginal spines pointing downwards.

Type: America calidiore. Herb. Linn. 443.1 (LINN).

Distribution: Mexico, naturalized in the Mediterranean region, India and Pakistan.

The century plant or the American aloe is cultivated in gardens throughout Pakistan. It is not naturalized here and not grown for its fibre. This species is monocarpic, flowering after about 10 years of growth.