Based on Lavranos in Flora of Somalia

Plants herbaceous, shrubby, or arborescent with succulent, glabrous, lanceolate to triangular leaves that are usually clustered, at the base of the inflorescence in the stemless species, towards the top of the stem in stemmed species. Leaf margins often have a distinct cartilagnous or horny margin and are usually toothed. Inflorescences are terminal or lateral and may be simple or branched, the flowers beling located in terminal racemes on each branch. Flowers radially symmetric, with 6 tepals that are united in their lower portion, 6 stamens that are often exserted and a gynoeccium consisting of a 3-celled ovary having numerous seeds and a filiform, simple style that, like the stamens, often exceeds the perianth. Fruits are  papery to almost woody capsules and the seeds are usually narrowly winged.

Aloe includes about 300 species that are native to Africa south of the Sahara, Madagascar, and the southern Arabian peninsula. The species are well adapted to growing in dry, hot climates. Aloe vera is widely cultivated because of its value to the Medicinal and Aromatic Plants trade but almost all species of Aloe are valued  for their medicinal and cosmetic properties by local people. 

J. Lavranos (1995) 4: 35 - 42

Plants perennial herbs, shrubs, or trees. Leaves glabrous, margins usually sinuous-dentate or spiny, rarely entire. Inflorescences terminal or lateral, branched,sometimes with secondary branches. the flowers racemosely attached and from evenly distributed to densely and terminally clustered on the branches. Flowers  with tubular, straight to somewhat curved perianths; tepals about equal in length, their lower portions usually unted; stamens often more or less exserted, anthers dorsifixed, with 2 thecae; ovaries oblong to subglobose,superior, 3-celled, with numerous ovules in each cell; styles filiform, usually longer than the stamens; stigmas capitate, small. Fruits capsules, papery to almost woody; seeds triangular to flattened, usually narrowly winged. 

Aloe is an African genus that extends to Arabia and Madagascar. It includes about 300 species, many of which are narrowly distributed. 

©Trustees of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew; reproduced with permission.

Key to the species of Somaliland and Somalia. 

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