€15,90

Gasteria ellaphieae Van Jaarsv. 

🌱 Morphology
Small acaulescent, slow-growing, and very compact Gasteria, barely 1.5–4 cm tall and 5–14 cm in diameter, solitary or forming small clusters through basal proliferation. The roots are succulent and fusiform, up to 5 mm in diameter. The leaves begin arranged in two opposite rows and, with age, form a low rosette. They measure approximately 2–5 × 1–2 cm, are firm, triangular to triangular-lanceolate and sickle-shaped: the inner leaves ascend while the outer ones arch outwards. The upper face is canaliculate and the lower one is slightly convex, with an eccentric keel. Both surfaces are dark green and densely covered in white tubercles, grouped into irregular transverse bands. The apex is acute and ends in a small mucro. This densely tuberculate appearance, combined with its small size, can make it superficially resemble a Haworthia.

🌍 Distribution, habitat, and family
It is a highly localized endemic of the Eastern Cape, South Africa, known from the Kouga Dam region, near Patensie, at the southern end of the Baviaanskloof. It grows at an altitude of approximately 450 to 700 m, in rock crevices and on steep cliffs, generally on southern aspects with partial shade. The substrate originates from quartzitic sandstone of the Peninsula Formation, Cape Supergroup, which is mineral-poor and slightly acidic. It lives in a transition between Albany Thicket and Fynbos, in communities rich in thorny shrubs, small trees, lichens, and other succulents. The annual rainfall is around 300–400 mm, distributed between summer and winter, although there is a tendency for summer dryness; summers are warm and winters are mild.

Family Asphodelaceae, tribe Alooideae, section Longiflorae, series Multifariae, genus Gasteria. This position is supported by the classification of Van Jaarsveld and Zonneveld and the review by the Haworthia Society.

❄️ Temperature — USDA 11a
It tolerates minimum temperatures down to approximately 6 ºC in cultivation. This figure comes from cultivation data and does not represent a minimum temperature of its habitat, where SANBI describes mild winters and an average annual minimum temperature close to 10 ºC. For this reason, in Madrid, it is recommended to protect it from frost and, especially, to keep it dry during cold spells.

☀️ Lighting
It prefers shade–partial shade, with filtered light. In its habitat, it can also be found on more exposed walls, but plants usually grow protected within crevices and scrub. An approximate target of 10–20 mol/m²/day of DLI PAR is suitable to keep the rosette compact and avoid damage from excessive radiation.

💧 Growth cycle and watering
Opportunistic. It does not have a strict summer dormancy. SANBI recommends maintaining watering throughout the year, although sparingly in winter. It is recommended to let the substrate dry partially between waterings and to adjust the frequency according to temperature and ventilation. In summer, despite the dry tendency of its habitat, it can remain active when sufficient moisture is available.

🌸 Flowering
It blooms mainly in the austral summer, January–February, although SANBI notes that it may do so sporadically at other times. The inflorescence is an ascending raceme of approximately 25–45 cm, simple or branched in the upper third. The flowers measure 25–27 mm and are reddish-pink, with more than the basal half of the perianth notably swollen, a characteristic of the genus. The fruits form capsules of about 12–15 mm, with black, flattened seeds of about 3 mm. Pollination is mainly carried out by sunbirds.

🌿 Nutrition
During the active growth period, Desert CHOICE® Aloes, Haworthias & Co. is recommended, with a high content of potassium and bioavailable calcium. It is applied with watering, reducing fertilization during periods of lower activity.

12x12 cm gourmet black pot

This is an inimitable xerophyte grown in Madrid in a high-tech square pot, with the substrate activated with mycorrhizal fungi and bio-fungicides.

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