Aloiampelos ciliaris (Haw.) Klopper & Gideon F.Sm. var. ciliaris (= Aloe ciliaris var. ciliaris)

This tangled, climbing shrub has sheathing leaf bases that are collar-like, ciliate (with a fringe of hairs) and auriculate (ear-lobe-shaped). The green leaves are spreading to recurved. Racemes are short, broadly cylindrical and densely flowered. The bright red, cylindrical to slightly curved flowers are ± 30 mm long with pedicels (flower stalks) that can reach a length of 5–8 mm and are present throughout the year. This plant climbs through bushes, shrubs, and trees in bushland, wooded ravines and thickets of the coastal belt, and is always found near the sea in frost free areas. It only occurs in a narrow coastal strip from near Humansdorp to north of the Kei River Mouth, Eastern Cape, South Africa.

Aloiampelos ciliaris var. tidmarshii (Schonland) Klopper & Gideon F.Sm. (= Aloe ciliaris var. tidmarshii)

A tangled, climbing shrub, where the sheathing portion of the leaf base is only very slightly auriculate (ear-lobe-shaped) and the margin very minutely ciliate (with a fringe of hairs). This variety of A. ciliaris is in all aspects smaller than the typical variety of the species. Racemes are sublaxly flowered and more narrowly cylindrical than those of var. ciliata. The red flowers (16–23 mm long) and pedicels (flower stalks) (4–6 mm long), are also shorter, and present from November to April. This variety grows on stony, clayey soils in relatively dense savanna woodland, at higher altitudes and further from the sea than A. ciliaris var. ciliaris. It is restricted to an inland strip of the Eastern Cape along the Zuurberg range, South Africa, and is endemic to the Albany Centre of Endemism.

Aloiampelos decumbens (Reynolds) Klopper & Gideon F.Sm. (= Aloe decumbens)

This much-branched shrub has slender stems that are decumbent, but with the foliate portion held erect. The spreading leaves are bright green and faintly striate. The peduncle (inflorescence stalk) is slender (4–5 mm in diameter) bearing a sublaxly flowered cylindrical raceme. The red flowers are 28–33 mm long, cylindrical and slightly curved, with pedicels (flower stalks) of 4–5 mm long. Plants flower throughout the year, but flowering time is mostly between November and January. This species is considered to be Vulnerable (VU) and grows in South Langeberg Sandstone Fynbos on cliffs and steep north- and south-facing slopes, on sandstone of the Table Mountain Group. It is only known from the Langeberg (Riversdale region), Western Cape, South Africa.

Aloiampelos juddii (Van Jaarsv.) Klopper & Gideon F.Sm. (= Aloe juddii)

This branched shrub has erect to somewhat creeping, densely foliate branches of ascending (upward curving), green leaves. The peduncle (inflorescence stalk) is robust (8–9 mm diameter) and bears sublaxly flowered, cylindrical racemes. Flowers are orange-red, 40 mm long, cylindrical and slightly curved, with 10–12 mm long pedicels (flower stalks). Plants flower in November. This Endangered (EN) species grows on southeast-facing rocky slopes on sandstone of the Table Mountain Group, in Overberg Sandstone Fynbos vegetation. It is thus far only known from the Baardskeerdersbos region east of Gansbaai (Overberg coastal mountains), Western Cape, South Africa.

Aloiampelos striatula var. striatula (= Aloe straiatula var. striatula)

This rambling aloe is the most robust member of the genus Aloiampelos. The recurved, shiny, dark green leaves have leaf sheaths that are distinctly longitudinally green-lined. Racemes are cylindrical to cone-shaped and relatively densely flowered. Flowers are slightly curved, reddish orange, 40–45 mm long and clasp the peduncle (inflorescence stalk). Flowering occurs mostly between October and November. This aloe grows among rocks on mountain tops within the winter snow belt in one of the coldest parts of southern Africa. It is distributed in the higher areas of the eastern and northeastern parts of the Eastern Cape, South Africa, and in southern Lesotho, with a disjunct distribution in the southeastern Free State, South Africa and western Lesotho.

Aloidendron barberae (Dyer) Klopper & Gideon F.Sm.

The eastern tree aloe is the tallest and largest of the South African tree aloes, forming tall, much-branched trees of up to 18 m. The bark is greyish and rough to the touch. Dense inflorescences with rose-pink flowers, which are pollinated by short-beaked weavers and white-eyes, are often hidden among the bright green leaves. It grows in dense, tall bush and low forest, on rocky slopes of wooded valleys. The eastern tree aloe occurs in scattered localities in a broad coastal zone from East London in the Eastern Cape, through KwaZulu-Natal, and Mpumalanga, South Africa, also in Swaziland and along the southern Mozambique coast, as far north as Inhambane, with a known disjunct collection further north in the Cheringoma District of eastcentral Mozambique.

Aloidendron pillansii (L.Guthrie) Klopper & Gideon F.Sm.

The giant quiver tree has a very distinctive growth form, with a huge trunk and a few, large rosettes on the smooth, forked branches. The broad leaves are sliver-grey with white margins and teeth. Inflorescences with yellow, slightly swollen flowers are produced laterally from axils of the lowest leaves. The giant quiver tree grows on stony hillsides that are almost devoid of soil in Succulent Karoo vegetation, at low altitudes. It is only known from the Richtersveld, South Africa, and adjacent areas of Namibia.

Aloidendron tongaensis (Van Jaarsv.) Klopper & Gideon F.Sm.

The Tonga tree aloe forms branched trees of up to 8 m, with terminal rosettes of recurved, dull green leaves. The curved, yellowish orange flowers are drooping (pendulous), borne in short, dense, erect, few-branched inflorescences and are pollinated by sunbirds. It only grows in sand forest, in warm, humid, tropical/subtropical conditions, on sandy soil. The Tonga tree aloe is restricted to the sand forests at Kosi Bay in northern KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa and adjacent territory of southern Mozambique.