June 2012 Genus of the Month - Gasteria

[Bill]

I think Bill's puzzle is this one Gasteria batesiana,

that warty skin is very characteristic.

It is indeed Gasteria batesiana, this is the Barberton one, with its darker green leaves.

You can see a some of my Gasteria here https://plus.google.com/photos/11450964 ... banner=pwa

The pictures are about 4 years old most of the plants are still with me in fact this the baylissiana in my first post, it's grown a bit!

[Tony R]

Gasteria - once the "poor man's" Haworthia - but now there is a resurgence in interest!

What with "Plant of the Month", Genus of the Month" and "Plant of the Quarter", the take-over is nearly complete!

Having given talks on Gasterias so far to over 30 branches in the last few years, I have certainly noticed the renewed and increased interest, confirmed by the number of such plants the likes of Stuart R and David N, amongst others, seem to sell on eBay!

We may even tempt a few more die-hard Cactophiles over the fence!

Still not that common in cultivation is Gasteria tukhelensis, discovered by Ernst van Jaarsveld in 2003, and published in 2005; here are plants from the original collection from habitat (EvJ17796) photographed at Kirstenbosch in November 2011:

[Bill]

That's nice Tony, one for the shopping list methinks.

It's strange how Gasteria are/have been seen as second class citizens to other African succulent species, they are great architectural plants, none are too big, they are in the main fairly easy going and can be grown in spots that many other plants including Haworthia would find too shaded and they even have pretty flowers, everything going for them in my book.

[Ernie]

I love them and have most of those described in J.van Jaarsveld book.( My names in the list of subscribers at the back of the book) My collection increased thanks to Roy who used to get material from that author. I find mine grow well in clay pots and I just love the cultivars that are now available.
BTW Tony I will be at you talk at the Teesside branch in July, sorry but I am prone to asking questions
I will post a picture of one of my favourites later today.

[AnTTun]

I guess we should also mention that not all gasterias are completely gasterias. Some are crossed with haworthias:

And some are crossed with aloes:

[Ernie]

I managed to extract these two from the overstocked Greenhouse,

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[Jim_Mercer]

When Bill posted a close up I thought I knew the plant, then I looked at mine and it was a different colour so here it is..

Gasteria "Little Warty"

[Bill]

Some great plants folks.

Does anyone have the current "accepted" list of species they could post.

Bill

[Ernie]

A few more of my plants

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[Ernie]

This plant is Gasteria Ellaphieae. Discovered in 1989 by E.J.van Jaarsveld, Kouga Dam area of the South-Eastern Cape.
The specific epithet honours Ellaphie Ward-Hilhorst 1920-1994 a famour illustrator of plants and the lady who did the illustrations for Gasterias of Southern Africa by Jaarsveld. The lady was murdered in 1994. BTW I know the spelling on the label is incorrect- must get round to altering it.

The specific plant you see I know has been down to minus 5 degrees but survived. Slightly marked.

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