Gasteria glomerata aka Ox Tongue

Gasteria glomerata, or Kouga gasteria, is a small succulent. This perennial lives for years and belongs to the Asphodelaceae family. It comes from South Africa’s lower Kouga River. Its range includes Kouga Dam in the southeastern Cape. It grows on steep rock ledges in south-facing shade. The sandstone soil is poor and a little acid. Summers are hot; winters are mild, with no frost.

This plant has no stem and grows at a slow rate. Its leafy body reaches about 0.05–0.13 feet [0.015–0.04 metres] tall. It makes many offsets, or new plants, in small, round clumps. These span about 0.07–0.16 feet [0.02–0.05 metres]. Some reach 0.26 feet [0.08 metres] across. Plants may stand upright or lean along the ground. Thick leaves grow in two rows or a loose spiral. Their shapes range from straps to broad ovals. The grey-green leaves have small bumps and feel rough. Outer leaves spread out or bend back toward the ground. Leaves grow flatter in dry spells.

The flowers hang above the leaves on a spreading raceme. This flower stalk reaches about 0.39–0.66 feet [0.12–0.20 metres] long. Each bears eight to twenty fleshy, swollen flowers shaped like tubes. LLIFLE says the blooms are orange with green-brown tips. Chicago Botanic Garden lists their shade as salmon-pink. The sources do not agree on when flowers bloom. LLIFLE lists spring, while Chicago gives November through February. Once pollen reaches the flower, the seed capsule starts to form. It turns upright as it grows. The capsule opens at its top, letting flat, black seeds out.

Grow this plant in a pot or frost-free garden bed. Use a porous potting mix that lets water drain well. LLIFLE advises shade but says plants can adapt to sun. Make this change in small steps over time. Chicago Botanic Garden lists full sun, so the sources differ. Give moderate water in summer and much less in winter. LLIFLE advises one feed in the growing season. Use a balanced fertilizer, diluted before use. Chicago lists USDA zones 10–13. Its small form suits pots, borders, and small specimen plantings.

LLIFLE rates this plant as easy to grow. It also reports that the plant resists fungal leaf spot well. Chicago says birds and butterflies visit, and the plant resists deer. Grow more plants from seeds or by division, splitting the clumps. The supplied sources give no evidence on use as food. They also give no evidence on whether it is toxic.