Gasteria nitida
| Gasteria nitida | |
|---|---|
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Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Monocots |
| Order: | Asparagales |
| Family: | Xanthorrhoeaceae |
| Subfamily: | Asphodeloideae |
| Genus: | Gasteria |
| Species: | G. nitida |
| Binomial name | |
| Gasteria nitida | |
Gasteria nitida is a succulent plant, native to the Eastern Cape grasslands of South Africa.[1]
Description
The species name "nitida" means "shiny" in Latin, and refers to the leaf surfaces. The fat, shiny, spotted, triangular leaves grow as a rosette (although in young plants they are initially distichous). The inflorescence is branched.
A smaller species, Gasteria armstrongii, which occurs just to the west on the banks of the Gamtoos river, is often considered to be a subspecies of G.nitida. However it has rough, tuberculate, recurved, purely distichous leaves, and a solitary unbranched inflorescence.
Another close relative is Gasteria excelsa, a very large and widespread species with long, sharp leaves, that grows on shady cliffs.
Distribution
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This species occurs over an extensive range of the Eastern Cape Province, South Africa. Here is occurs in grassland vegetation.
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