Gonialoe (the partridge aloes) is a small genus of three succulent plant species, indigenous to South Africa, Namibia and Angola. They were formerly included within the related genus Aloe. The three species are Gonialoe variegata, Gonialoe sladeniana, Gonialoe dinteri.[1]

Gonialoe
Gonialoe variegata
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
Clade:	Tracheophytes
Clade:	Angiosperms
Clade:	Monocots
Order:	Asparagales
Family:	Asphodelaceae
Subfamily:	Asphodeloideae
Tribe:	Aloeae
Genus:	Gonialoe (Baker) Boatwr. & J.C.Manning
Type species
Gonialoe variegata (L.) Boatwr. & J.C.Manning
Species
Gonialoe dinteri Gonialoe sladeniana Gonialoe variegata
Distribution map of the three Gonialoe species.   G. dinteri   G. sladeniana   G. variegata

Taxonomy

The genus Aloe was found to be polyphyletic. It was accordingly divided into different genera: Aloe, Kumara, Aloiampelos, and Gonialoe, among others. Several recent phylogenetic studies have confirmed this division, and shown that Aloe actually consists of several relatively unrelated groups.

The same studies suggested that the closest relatives of this proposed genus were the related genera Astroloba and Tulista.[2]

Species

This section does not cite any sources. (September 2019)

The three species of this genus can easily be recognised by their compact, triangular leaves forming three vertical or spiraling ranks (trifarious).[3]

Image	Scientific name	Distribution
	Gonialoe dinteri (A.Berger) Boatwr. & J.C.Manning	Namibia
	Gonialoe sladeniana (Pole-Evans) Boatwr. & J.C.Manning	central Namibia, south-west of Windhoek
	Gonialoe variegata (L.) Boatwr. & J.C.Manning	South Africa (Western Cape, Eastern Cape, Northern Cape and Free State.)

References

External links

• Media related to Gonialoe at Wikimedia Commons
• Data related to Gonialoe at Wikispecies