With its dark reddish, contorted leaves, plants of this species are like vegetable octopi prowling the terrestrial limestone reefs of southern Madagascar. They bear few-flowered racemes of pastel orange flowers in early summer followed by long-lasting, yellowish, berry-like fruits. The name Lomatophyllum means “fringed leaf”, but it is the fleshy fruits that are characteristic of this genus, which is closely allied to, and sometimes included in, Aloe. HBG 87324, from controlled pollination of Röösli and Hoffmann s.n., collected Nov. 1991 in the Zombitsy forest near Sakaraha, Madagascar. $7.50
Published in the Cactus and Succulent Journal, Vol. 74 (2), March - April, 2002