Reproductive biology of two endemic Aloe species, A. debrana AND A. Pulcherrima in Ethiopia

Reproductive biology of two endemic Aloe species, A. pulcherrima (with rare occurrence) and A. debrana (common) was investigated in central Ethiopia. A. pulcherrima lacks seed germination and hence no recruitment from seed mode; it entirely depends on vegetative mode of propagation in spite of good seed set, satisfactory pollinator activity and high percentage of pollen viability. A. debrana on the other hand showed adequate recruitment from both vegetative and seed modes. The extent of flowering, fruiting and seed set was greater when compared to those in A. pulcherrima. The two species differ in their flowering time in the habitat, A. pulcherima with flowering during June-August and A. debrana during December-February. Therefore, temporal separation of flowering season enables to avoid competition for the same pollinators and also to prevent hybridization between them.