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Gasteria brachyphylla (Salm-Dyck) van Jaarsv.
Klein Karoo gasteria
These are South African natives, not found in the wild in North America. The genus,
Gasteria, meaning stomach, refers to the swollen middles of the tubular flowers.
Plants: Succulents are ½–9″ long ⨉ ¾–3″ broad (1.5–23 ⨉ 2.2–8 cm).
Leaves: 4–8 ⨉ ⅜–¾″ (10–20 ⨉ 1–2 cm) wide, in two opposite
rows, with rounded tips, and
spotted with white flecks.
Flowers: A raceme, single or with two side
branches, 8–35″ (20–90 cm) tall. Each flower stalk is ⅛–¼″ (5–7 mm) long.
Flowers are ⅜–¾″ (1.2–2.2 cm) long, tubular, with swollen bases and thinner ends 1/16–⅛″ (3–4 mm)
around. The swollen portion is pink, while the flower tube is white with green striations.
Fruits: Oblong, ½–⅞ ⨉ ¼″ (1.5–2.3 cm ⨉ 7 mm), with
flattish black seeds 1/16–⅛ ⨉ 1/16–⅛″ (3–4 ⨉ 2–3 mm).
Habitats: Widely distributed in its native habitat, the
South African Klein Karoo. Elsewhere, it is cultivated as a usually indoor plant.
