Unknown Aloe

I just bought an aloe, bear with me on the description here...coloring is medium to light yellowy green, not sickly looking, just bright. Freckled a bit with those lovely whits 'aloe dots' and a few harmless looking teeth along the edges of the leaves. There tons of pups wedged in with a main plant. The main, or mamma plant has gotten weighty and seems to be laying down on it's side, rather comfortably, and sprouting new pups where it lays. It sort of snakes along the top of the soil, the the growing tip is still going, putting out new leaves. This has got to be a fairly common aloe, I bought my plant at a mennonite shop, and I've seen them in many of my friends homes. I'd just like a name to go with it, if anyone can help me out, pretty please.


Bucky

Dear Bucky,

Your description, as good as it is (and it is) removes at least two hundred species from consideration. Unfortunately, that leaves more than 100 as a possibility. (and that doesn't even begin to count hybrids). The snaking habit brings to mind either A. distans or A. arenicola, but neither one of those prolifically pup as much as you say. Any chance of a photo?

Jeff, hi
Both of the Aloe that you suggest are not commonly found in shops, nursery's, Wal Mart, Home Depot etc. How many Aloe registered bybrids are there now? Should we ask our friend?

Is this a branched infl., how big are the leaves, what color are the flowers, and their size. If it is in flower now? The same species all seem to flower at the same time, almost to the day. What color is the teeth and how far apart? The most common X is the Aloe 'vera' Norma

More to the description - ( I am dig. cam. illiterate)

The leaves are long and narrow, being no more than an inch or so at their widest points, and perhaps 8 inches long. The plant seems to have been rooted from a larger piece (the main plant) and where the old bits of the stem (?) touch the potting mix, new pups have formed. The teeth on this plant are well spaced, depending on the length of the leaf, but are never any closer than a quarter of an inch apart, and aren't very nasty looking at all, more like nubs than teeth. This plant isn't in flower, and of the ones I've seen in other places, none of them have had flowers on them, so I can't give a color or size.

I guess I wouldn't mind leaving this the 'unknown aloe', but I have been developing quite a passion for aloes as of late, and this is the only one without it's "proper" name.

Dear Bucky,

Any chance you have a friend w/ a digital camera, w/ whom you might trade favors in order to get us a photo? Now we're all curious & the folks who answered you are really knowledgeable abt Aloes. I'm sure we'd all like to know.

BTW, an Aloe flopping over & growing on its side is not a bad thing or sign of ill heath, some of them just do that. The fact that yours has lots of pups is a pretty good indicator that it's in good health. Good luck w/ it.

Might I suggest a trip (computer transport) to www.desert-tropicals.com, and look under scientific or correct or Latin names. They will show a list of letters of the alphabet, choose A. Then choose aloe. You can scan the whole list, checking each photo as it loads, but I would suggest looking at Aloe barbadensis. It is the MOST common one. I may be totally in left field, but at least now you know where the field is to start looking for yourself!

Good Luck, and let us know what you learn!

Cena