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  Gasteria bicolor var. liliputiana CACTUS ART
NURSERY

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of Cacti and Succulents.


This is the dwarf form of Gasteria bicolour a dwarf succulent perennial with leaves in a distichous rosette.
 

Gasteria bicolor is a variable species with two somewhat distinct varieties:
  • Gasteria bicolor var. bicolor Haw. It is small plant 7-25 cm tall, but can attain greater size in some population (up to 40-60 cm in height at Alicedale)

  • Gasteria bicolor var. liliputana (Poelln.) Van Jaarsv. This is a miniature clustering variety, plants boast leaves only 3-5 cm long!

However intermediate forms between the two (neither var. bicolor nor var. liliputana) are also common around the environs of Grahamstown, But all forms, from one end of the spectrum to the other, are usually spiral or rosulate in habit, excepting an outlier group of local populations north of the Zuurberg range which are distichous.
Cultivated plant usually distichous leaved.

Description: They form short, leafy stems instead of basal rosettes.
Stems: Stem becomes elongated to 10 cm
Leaves: Smooth, strap-shaped with rounded or acute top, shiny dark green mottled with nice cream spots 3 to 5 (10) cm long (depending on clones) by about 2.5 cm wide. Distichous or spirally rosulate. Leaves may turn red if plant is stressed.
Flowers: Small ~2 cm, pendulous, tubular, bicoloured reddish pink and green that look like little stomachs. The inflorescence can be branched and very tall.
Blooming Time: Flowers can be produced any time of year, peaking in midwinter to spring.

 

Cultivation: They are of easy culture which makes them a good houseplant and can be an excellent subject for the beginning gasteriaphile (it can grow easily on window sills, verandas and in miniature succulent gardens where they are happy to share their habitat with other smaller succulent plants, or in outdoor rockeries) Need light shade to shade, but will take full sun part of the day. (with some sun exposure the leaf develops a nice reddish tint and remain compact) They are tolerant of a wide range of soils and habitats, but prefer a very porous potting mix to increase drainage. During the hot summer months, the soil should be kept moist but not overly wet. The plants are fertilized only once during the growing season with a balanced fertilizer diluted to ½ the recommended strength. During the winter months, water only when the soil becomes completely dry.

Propagation: Gasteria is easily propagated by the removal of offshoots or by leaf cuttings in spring or summer. To propagate by leaf cuttings, remove a leaf and let it lie for about one month, giving the wound time to heal. Then lay the leaf on its side with the basal part buried in the soil. This leaf should root within a month or two, and small plants will form at the leaf base. They can also grown from seed.


 


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Family: Asphodelaceae
Scientific name:  Gasteria bicolor var. liliputana (Poelln.) Van Jaarsv.

Origin: South Africa. This species has a large area of distribution in the Eastern Cape, and although it overlaps other species' ranges no hybrids have been reported.

Habitat: Grows in shallow soil in the shade of other plants.

Use: Used in South Africa for various traditional medicines. They thrive in cultivation both indoor and outdoors, used as a potted plants or outdoor rockeries, tolerant of a wide range os soils and habitats.

Synonyms:

  • Gasteria caespitosa,
  • Gasteria salmdyckiana,
  • Gasteria spiralis,
  • Gasteria zeyheri,
  • Gasteria spiralis var. tortulata,
  • Gasteria variolosa,
  • Gasteria biformis,
  • Gasteria retata,
  • Gasteria herreana,
  • Gasteria longibracteata,
  • Gasteria maculata var. dregeana,
  • Gasteria maculata var. fallax,
  • Gasteria multiplex,
  • Gasteria chamaegigas,
  • Gasteria planifolia,
  • Gasteria maculata var. maculata,
  • Aloe maculata,
  • Aloe lingua,
  • Aloe maculata var. obliqua,
  • Aloe obliqua var. fallax,
  • Aloe dictyodes,
  • Aloe obliqua,
  • Gasteria loeriensis,
  • Aloe planifolia,
  • Gasteria obliqua,
  • Aloe zeyheri,
  • Gasteria colubrina,
  • Gasteria kirsteana,
  • Gasteria longiana,
  • Gasteria maculata,
  • Gasteria marmorata,
  • Gasteria picta
 


Photo of conspecific taxa, varieties, forms and cultivars of plants belonging to the Gasteria bicolor complex (This Taxon has lots of synonyms ( like many other Gasterias) whit several controversial varieties and subspecies and comprises a multitude of different forms, but where each form is linked to others by populations of plants with intermediate characteristics):

 
 
 

Home | E-mail | Plant files | Mail Sale Catalogue | Links | Information | Search

All the information and photos in cactus art files are now available also in the new the Encyclopaedia of Succulents. We hope you find this new site informative and useful.