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“ALOE 88”

SUCCULENT PLANTS OF ZIMBABWE Issued 14th July 1988

This set of stamps was issued to commemorate the holding of Zimbabwe’s second international

succulent plant congress in Harare from 18th to 24th July, 1988. The Congress, known as “Aloe

88” was organised by the Aloe, Cactus and Succulent Society of Zimbabwe.

(Extracts from Philatelic Bureau Bulletin No 3 of 1988)2

15c: Aloe cameronii variety bondana

Depicted is a variety of Aloe cameronii

which is endemic in Zimbabwe and occurs

only in the Manicaland Province where it

grows mainly on granite whaleback type hills

at the higher and colder altitudes in

Zimbabwe ranging from 1 500 to 2 000

metres. The leaves are green during the rainy

season and turn a beautiful copper-red colour

during the winter flowering months. Flowers

appear from April to June with colours

varying from scarlet through pink to orange

and yellow with occasional bicoloured red

and yellow specimens. The plant is easy to

propagate from seed or from offsets.

.

23c: Orbeopsis caudata

Portrayed is one of the 27 stapeliads which

occur naturally in Zimbabwe. This species is

widely distributed throughout the country

being found in all provinces as well as in

Angola and Namibia, usually among dead

leaves in woodland and often, though not

always, in sandy soil. The plant produces

starshaped flowers which span from 5 to 10

cm and are usually lemon-yellow in colour,

but profusely spotted with a few purple hairs

on the margins of the long and tapering

corolla lobes. The species is easy to

reproduce from seed or from one of the stems

of a mature plant.

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25c: Euphorbia wildii

Showing one of the 28 succulent Euphorbia

which are found in Zimbabwe. This species

is endemic in Zimbabwe and is only found on

the northern portion of the Great Dyke

between Darwendale and the Mavuradonha

range of mountains in northern

Mashonaland. The plant grows in the

serpentine soils rich in chromium and

magnesium, on the stony slopes of rugged

hills at altitudes of approximately 1 500

metres. The species is a stout succulent shrub

which grows up to 3 metres high and its

leaves are green during the summer season

and reddish in the dry winter from May to

August. The plant may be grown easily from

seed

30c: Euphorbia fortissimo

Featuring another of the Euphorbia species

which is found in Zimbabwe in scattered

areas from the Hwange district in

Matabeleland eastwards to near Lake Kariba

and the Zambesi River in northern

Mashonaland and also in Zambia. The plant

is a succulent, spiny candelabra shaped tree

which attains a height of up to 5 metres. The

stem is fairly short and the branches, which

are up to 5 metres long, are elliptically

segmented and three to four angled with

strong marginal spines. The species is easily

propagated from seed

35c: Aloe aculeata

This an aloe which is relatively widespread

in parts of the Manicaland and Matabeleland

Provinces of Zimbabwe as well as in the

Masvingo and Lowveld areas, usually at

altitudes of below 1 000 metres and in sandy

soils. The leaves tend to be very prickly and

their colour varies from grey-blue to green.

Flowers appear from June to August and vary

from scarlet through to pink with attractive

bicolour red and yellow specimens occurring

particularly in the eastern districts. The

species hybridises naturally in habitat with

other species and is an excellent parent plant

for artificial hybridisation. The species is

easily reproduced from seed.

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38c: Huernia zebrina

Depicting the most striking and attractive of

the stapeliads found naturally in Zimbabwe.

This plant occurs in the lowveld particularly

near the Limpopo River in the Beitbridge

district and the Mwenezi River Gorge as well

as in southern Matabeleland, growing in hot

and dry woodland areas at altitudes of below

1 000 metres. The flowers are characterised

by yellow and maroon striped corolla lobes

and a prominent shiny deep maroon central

annulus. The distinctive stripes which give

the species its name, vary from being

numerous and fine to scarce and broad. The

plant may be bred from branch cuttings or

seed.

The Stamps

Catalogue listings

SG ZSC1 Value Description

734 161 15c Aloe cameronii var bondana

735 162 23c Orbeopsis caudata

736 163 25c Euphorbia wildii

737 164 30c Euphorbia fortissima

738 165 35c Aloe aculeata

739 166 38c Huernia zebrina

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Technical details

Stamp size: All values 28 x 42 mm

Sheet Size: 50 stamps (5 rows of 10 stamps), two panes per printed sheet

Artist: Nancy Abrey, from photographs by Mike Kimberley and Darrel

Plowes

Paper: ZSC paper type D – HS8, fluorescent front and back, with cream

PVA gum.

Print colours: Black, magenta, cyan, yellow

Perforations: SG 14½, ZSC 14¼

Left margin: Perforated through.

Other margins: Imperforate

Printer: National Printing & Packaging, Harare, Zimbabwe

Printer’s Imprint: Bottom Margin, below Row 5 Columns 4 to 7. Imprint printed in

black

Cylinder numbers: Bottom margin below R5/1. Colours from left – cyan, magenta,

yellow, black

Colour register: Type TL 4– round boxed – left margin opposite R5/1. Colours

reading down – cyan, magenta, yellow, black

Sheet Value: Bottom Margin, under 5/10, printed in black.

Sheet Number: Type SN 4a with ‘PTC’ prefix, right margin opposite R5/10,

reading down

Print numbers: 15c 1,000,000 23c 500,000

25c 350,000 30c 350,000

35c 320,000 38c 320,000

Issue date: 14th July, 1988

Withdrawal from sale:

Demonetarisation: 31st January, 1994

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Listed varieties

No listed varieties have been noted

Unlisted Varieties

There are numerous small dots and specks in the printing of these stamps, particularly in the

backgrounds. Some dots and specks shown below are a bit more distinctive, some may be

constant.

15c: Additional yellow area

to centre flower. R4/6

23c: distinct colour

difference of flowers to row

5 as compared to rows

above

25c: Imperforate stamp with

wide top margin. The

margin above is much larger

than usual, suggesting that

this is not from a printing

sheet that was trimmed.

25c: Black dash to left side

of stamp, R5/10, possibly

constant

23c: Imperforate stamp with

wide right margin. The

margin is much wider than

usual, suggesting that this is

not from a printing sheet

that was trimmed

(Source eBay)

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35c: Imperforate proof with wide right

margin

(Source eBay November 2020)

First Day Covers

The cover numbering comes from the catalogue

produced by Geoff Brakspear.

A pictorial first day of issue canceller was produced

for this issued and was used by the Philatelic Bureau.

Other first day cover cancellers continued to be used

at main post offices.

ZW035.1 (PTC)

228 x 160 mm

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ZW035.2.1

191 x 100 mm

ZW035.2.2

191 x 100 mm

Above covers produced by Fleetwood, Cheyenne, Wyoming USA

Collection of Flora & Fauna of the World for The National Audubon Society

Bibliography:

1. “The Zimbabwean Concise Postage Stamp Catalogue”, published by Harare Stamp Company, edited by Ken Allanson, Mike Amos and Geoff Brakspear. The catalogue continues to be updated and expanded by

Geoff Brakspear

2. PTC Philatelic Bureau Bulletin No 3 of 1988.