Gasteria
(from gaster, a belly; referring to the swollen base of the flowers). ORD. Liliaceoe. A genus of about fifty species of greenhouse evergreen succulents, closely allied to Aloe, natives of the Cape of Good Hope. Flowers racemose or panicled; pedicels red; bracts small, persistent; peduncles naked. Leaves usually rosulate, thick, fleshy, generally tongue-shaped or ensiform. Under cultivation in this country, the flowering season of all the Gasterias is during the winter months. For culture, see Aloe.
G. acinacifolia (scimitar-leaved). fl. orange. March to September. l. distichous, scimitar-shaped, with cartilaginous prickly edges. 1819. (B. M. 2369, under name of Aloe acinacifolia.) G. brevifolia (short-leaved).* fl. red, nearly 1in. long; raceme 1ft. long; peduncles 1ft. long, simple or forked. July. l. ten to twelve, close together, lingulate, 3in. to 4in. long; apex bluntly cuspidate; dirty green, with numerous small white spots. Stems leafy. Previous to 1809. G. carinata (keeled).* fl. 1in. long; raceme 1ft. long; peduncles simple, 1 1/2ft. long. l. fifteen to twenty, dense, outer ones spreading, inner ones ascending; all lanceolate, 5in. to 6in. long; face concave; back distinctly keeled; apex deltoid-cuspidate. Stem leafy. 1731.
G. Croucheri (Croucher's).* fl. numerous, pendulous, 2in. long; perianth tubular, cylindric, contracted in the middle, upper part white, with green veins, lower pale rose-colour; racemes numerous, 8in. to 10in. long, curving upwards; scape 2ft. to 2 1/2ft. high. August. l. numerous, spreading, recurved, 1ft. long, 3in. to 3 1/2in. broad at base, 3/4in. to 1in. thick, dark green, spotted with white; margins toothed. h. 2ft. Origin unknown. (B. M. 5812, under name of Aloe Croucheri.) G. disticha (two-ranked).* fl. scarlet, nearly 1in. long; racemes 1ft. or more in length; peduncles the same, simple or branched. l. ten to twelve, distichous, dense, patent, 4in. to 6in. long, 1 1/2in. broad; face flat, with small obscure green spots on both surfaces. Stem leafy. 1820. There are several varieties of this species.
G. glabra (glabrous). fl. 1in. long; racemes 1ft. or more long, forty to fifty-flowered; peduncle simple, 6in. long. l. fifteen to eighteen, dense, outer ones recurved, inner ones erecto-patent, lanceolate, 6in. to 9in. long; face concave, shining green, both surfaces with small white spots; apex deltoid-cuspidate. Stem leafy. 1796. (B. M. 1331, under name of Aloe carinata.) G. maculata (spotted).* fl. scarlet, 3/4in. long; raceme 1ft. long; peduncles 1ft. or more long, simple or branched. l. sixteen to twenty, distichous, loosely disposed, erecto-patent, bright shining green or purple, 4in. to 6in. long, with large white bright spots in profusion; base dilated, rose-colour. Stem leafy, 6in. to 9in. 1759. (B. M. 979, under name of Aloe Lingua.) G. nigricans (blackish). fl. nearly 1in. long; raceme 1ft. to 1 1/2ft. long; peduncle stout, 1ft. or more long, always simple. l. twelve to twenty, distichous, dense, tongue-shaped, coriaceous, 4in. to 8in. long; face swollen below, flat above, shining, dark or purple-green, with copious small white spots. Stem leafy, 2in. to 3in. 1790. (B. M. 838, under name of Aloe Lingua crassifolia.) G. nitida (shining). fl. 1in. long; raceme 1ft. to 1 1/2ft. long; peduncle 1ft. or more long, simple. l. twelve to fifteen, dense, outer ones spreading, inner ones spreading, all lanceolate, 8in. to 9in. long, bright green; face concave; back oblique, keeled, with copious small white spots on both surfaces. Stem leafy, 1 1/2in. to 2in. 1790. (B. M. 2304, under name of Aloe nitida.) The variety grandipunctata has larger spots. G. pulchra (fair).* fl. scarlet, 3/4in. long; raceme 1ft. long; peduncles 1ft. or more long, branched. l. sixteen to twenty, distichous, loosely disposed, all ascending, sometimes 1ft. long; face concave, with large bright green or purplish spots on each surface. Stem leafy, 6in. or more high. 1759. (B. M. 765, under name of Aloe maculata.) G. variolosa (variegated). fl., inflorescence and perianth agreeing with G. maculata. l. fifteen to eighteen, in a congested, sessile, spirally distichous rosette, ligulate-lanceolate; the edge white and horny in the upper half, slightly eroded; the surfaces smooth, dull green, densely spotted with copious, immersed, small oblong whitish-green blotches. h. 1ft. 1860. (Ref. B. 347.) G. verrucosa (warty).* fl. 1in. long; racemes four to eight, disposed in a deltoid panicle, terminal, 6in. long; peduncles 6in. long. l. ten to twelve, distichous, close, ensiform, outer ones patent, inner ones alone ascending, 6in. to 9in. long; face concave; apex sub-pungent; back swollen. Stem leafy,1in. to 2in. 1731. (B. M. 837, under name of Aloe verrucosa.)