Aloe broomii

Aloe broomii, called the mountain aloe or snake aloe, is a flowering plant in the genus Aloe from southern Africa. It is widespread in South Africa, from Limpopo and the Northern Cape to the Free State and the Eastern Cape, and in Lesotho. It grows on rocky slopes in hilly and mountainous country between about 1000 and 2000 metres above sea level, where rainfall is low, roughly 300 to 500 millimetres a year and mostly in summer. The plant is robust, with a short stem and a height of up to 1.5 metres including the flower stalk, and it usually bears a single rosette of fleshy leaves edged with small, very dark thorns. Its most notable feature is the odd flower spike, in which the flowers are hidden by long bracts, giving a sinuous, snake-like look that explains the common name. Bees, wasps, ants and sunbirds visit it, and farmers use it as a disinfectant and as a remedy for sheep.