Plants of the Week

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Gasteria doreeniae

Gasteria doreeniae growing in its natural habitat at Swartwaterspoort (E. Cape)
Common names: Doreen's gasteria (Eng); Swartwaterspoort-beestong (Afr)
Family: Asphodelaceae

Gasteria doreeniae is a dwarf aloe-like, succulent-leaved, cliff-dwelling plant (cliff hugger) endemic to the Swartwaterspoort of the Eastern Cape...

04 / 04 / 2011 | Ernst van Jaarsveld | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Gasteria ellaphieae

Gasteria ellaphieae in habitat at Kouga Dam.
Common names: Ellaphie's gasteria
Family: Asphodelaceae

Gasteria ellaphieae is a dwarf aloe-like, succulent-leaved plant (rock crevice plant) endemic to the Kouga Dam region of the Eastern Cape Province....

18 / 04 / 2011 | Ernst van Jaarsveld | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Gasteria excelsa

Gasteria excelsa in flower at Kirstenbosch, growing on a dry stone wall
Common names: thicket ox-tongue, regal ox-tongue (Eng.); ruigte-beestong (Afr.)
Family: Asphodelaceae

Gasteria excelsa is a medium-sized aloe-like plant bearing triangular, spreading, ascending, dark-mottled green leaves and a dense panicle of pinkish...

11 / 06 / 2012 | Ernst van Jaarsveld | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Gasteria glauca

Gasteria glauca in flower in cultivation at Kirstenbosch
Common names: Kouga River gasteria (Eng.); Kouga-beestong (Afr.)
Family: Asphodelaceae

Gasteria glauca is a small aloe-like plant with highly succulent, glaucous (grey-green) leaves arranged in a dense rosette. It grows on cliff faces...

30 / 11 / 2009 | Ernst van Jaarsveld | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Gasteria glomerata

Flowers
Common names: Kouga gasteria (Eng.); Kouga-beestong (Afr.)
Family: Asphodelaceae

Gasteria glomerata is a very attractive, dwarf species, bearing rounded clusters of grey-green, slightly rough (tuberculate) leaves. It is ideal for...

03 / 04 / 2006 | Ernst van Jaarsveld | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Gasteria koenii

A plant of Gasteria koenii with linear leaves, growing just above the stream bank of the Smitsrivier Gorge, on the southern foothills of the Osberg.
Common names: Osberg ox-tongue (Eng.); osberg-beestong (Afr.)
Family: Asphodelaceae

Gasteria koenii is an exciting recent discovery, confined to the southern foothills of the Groot Swartberg, near Calitzdorp. The mottled, sickle-shaped...

05 / 03 / 2018 | Ernst van Jaarsveld | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Gasteria langebergensis

Gasteria langebergensis
Common names: Langeberg ox-tongue (Eng.); Langeberg-beestong (Afr.)
Family: Asphodelaceae

Gasteria langbergensis is a cluster-forming, leaf succulent with oblong, flattened, slightly wrinkled leaves in two opposite rows (distichous) and bearing...

15 / 11 / 2021 | Ernst van Jaarsveld | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Gasteria loedolffiae

Gasteria loedolffiae growing in habitat
Common names: Mzimvubu ox-tongue (Engl.); Mzimvubu-beestong (Afr.)
Family: Asphodelaceae

Gasteria loedolffiae is a aloe-like plant growing  as solitary specimens  or forming small groups on sheer shale cliffs of the Mzimvubu and Msikaba...

01 / 06 / 2015 | Ernst van Jaarsveld | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Gasteria nitida

Gasteria nitida growing in natural habitat, east of Bathurst, E.Cape
Common names: Bathurst ox-tongue; Bathurst-beestong (Afr.)
Family: Asphodelaceae

Gasteria nitida is a medium-sized, aloe-like succulent, endemic to the Eastern Cape, growing in grassland regions. It has showy, banded leaves, and grows...

15 / 12 / 2014 | Ernst van Jaarsveld | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Gasteria pillansii

Gasteria pillansii inflorescence
Common names: Namaqua gasteria (Eng.); Namakwa-beestong (Afr.)
Family: Asphodelaceae

Gasteria pillansii is the only true winter rainfall species of the genus. It is easily grown in containers in a shady spot, but has to be kept dry...

01 / 05 / 2006 | Ernst van Jaarsveld | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Gasteria polita

Flowers
Common names: polished gasteria, polished ox tongue
Family: Asphodelaceae

Gasteria polita is a recently discovered species that is both attractive and easy to grow.   ...

20 / 01 / 2003 | Ernst van Jaarsveld | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Gasteria pulchra

Gasteria pulchra plant
Common names: none recorded
Family: Asphodelaceae

Gasteria pulchra is a small to medium-sized aloe-like plant bearing narrow and pointed, ascending, dark-mottled green leaves and a loose panicle of...

26 / 03 / 2012 | Ernst van Jaarsveld | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Gasteria rawlinsonii

Gasteria rawlinsonii in flower, in cultivation
Common names: Baviaanskloof cliff gasteria (Eng.); kransbeestong (Afr.)
Family: Asphodelaceae

Gasteria rawlinsonii is a shrubby, aloe-like, succulent cliff hanger found only in the Baviaanskloof of the Eastern Cape Province. It is the only...

23 / 11 / 2009 | Ernst van Jaarsveld | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Gasteria retusa

Gasteria retusa
Common names: Hex River ox-tongue (Eng.), Heksrivier beestong (Afr.)
Family: Asphodelaceae

Gasteria retusa is a cluster-forming leaf succulent of about 240 mm in diameter. The leaves are beautifully ornamented, wrinkled, with transverse bands...

20 / 11 / 2023 | Ernst van Jaarsveld | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Gasteria thunbergii

Inflorescence
Common names: Gouritz gasteria (Eng.); Gouritz-beestong (Afr.)
Family: Asphodelaceae

Gasteria thunbergii is a dwarf aloe-like, opposite-leaved succulent, endemic to the Gouritz River south of the Langeberg Mountains of the Western...

10 / 02 / 2014 | Ernst van Jaarsveld | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Gasteria tukhelensis

Close up of flowers,flowering at Kirstenbosch
Common names: Tugela ox-tongue (Eng.), Tugela-beestong (Afr.)
Family: Asphodelaceae

Gasteria tukhelensis is one of the more or less 20 species so far known of the popular, aloe-like genus Gasteria which is endemic to southern...

28 / 05 / 2007 | Ernst van Jaarsveld | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Gasteria visseri

Gasteria visseri
Common names: Visser’s ox-tongue (Eng.); Visser-beestong (Afr.).
Family: Asphodelaceae

Gasteria visseri is a compact, slow-growing succulent, with dark green, spreading to recurved leaves in a tight rosette, proliferating from the base and...

29 / 06 / 2020 | Ernst van Jaarsveld | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Gasteria vlokii

Gasteria vlokii habitat on Waboomsberg, Western Cape
Common names: Swartberg ox-tongue (Eng.); Swartberg-beestong (Afr.)
Family: Asphodelaceae

Gasteria vlokii is one of the more or less 23 known Gasteria species endemic to southern Africa. It is easily propagated from leaf cuttings...

08 / 03 / 2010 | Ernst van Jaarsveld | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Gazania krebsiana

Gazania krebsiana
Common names: terracotta gazania (Eng.); gousblom, botterblom, rooi gazania (Afr.)
Family: Asteraceae

Gazania krebsiana, previously known as Gazania pavonia, must be one of Namaqualand 's most well-known and striking perennial plants....

18 / 09 / 2006 | Werner Voigt | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Gazania rigens var. leucolaena

Gazania rigens var. leucolaena
Common names: trailing gazania (Eng.); strandgazania, strandgousblom, rankbotterblom (Afr.); ububendle (Zulu)
Family: Asteraceae

When in full flower, the bright yellow flower heads set against the greyish white leaves, create an attractive, bright, cheerful patch to lighten up any...

18 / 10 / 2010 | Paul Herman | National Herbarium Pretoria
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