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Gasteria by Chris Miller Gasteria are endemic to South Africa, with the main centers of distribution in the dry karroid and savanna regions of the south-eastern Cape. They are a drought resistant, shade loving, shallow root succulent. Gasterias are slow growing plants that range in height from 20 mm to 600 mm. They adapt well to indoor conditions and have been widely cultivated. While similar to other members of the Aloideae sub-family of Asphodelaceae, Gasterias differ in both flower and leaf features. Some Gasteria flower stalks grow out from the plant and arc gracefully. The flowers stay pendulous until they are fertilized. The flowers themselves are shaped like a stomach, hence the name of the plant. Flowers are usually tri-colored green, white and a range of pale pink to red. Most Gasterias can be identified by their green, brittle, mottled, textured, tapering succulent leaves. These plants are commonly known as Ox Tongue, Cow Tongue Cactus and Lawyers Tongue because of the shape of the leaves. The leaves are either distichous (arranged in opposite rows), spirally distichous or in a rosette pattern. The leather textured leaves can be flat or triangular with distinct raised patterns. The leaf width is usually 2 to 6 times wider than the depth. Leaf edges are notched or scalloped, with the edge pattern merging towards the tip of the leaf. The typical habitat of Gasterias consists of dry rocky hillsides, inhabited by herbs, with taller emergent shrubs, under which the Gasteria grow. They also grow in rock fissures and in the shade of rocks. Occasionally they will be found in the open. Some forms have been reduced in their natural habitat due to farming, but most are still in large numbers in the wild due to their tendency to grow on rocky outcrops and cliffs. Gasterias have been in cultivation for over 300 years, with plants being shipped to Europe almost as soon as colonization started in South Africa. They have proven to be hardy plants that are easy to grow if you keep the following information in mind.
When growing Gasteria in pots, clay provides better aeration and drainage, but other types of pots work equally well. Some recommendations for soil mixtures include: 2 parts sand, 1 part mulch, 1 part loam (good garden soil) or ½ peat and ½ perilite. Gasteria tend to grow more quickly in the second mixture, but remember to fertilize frequently with a liquid fertilizer. Classification of Gasteria did not have a sound base and is complicated further by the ease with which it interbreeds. Below is a list of Gasteria, some are hybrids of others on the list.
REFERENCE: Gasterias of South Africa, E.J. van Jaarsveld, 1994 
Some Internet sites to visit for more information on Gasterias: http://www.botany.com/gasteria http://www.com/~amdigest/gasteria |