Gasteria batesiana var. batesiana

Gasteria batesiana var. batesiana is but one of the sought after attractions from this variable species found in the specialised market, not so much in the veld.

G. batesiana var. batesiana is characterised by its dark, blackish-green triangular-lanceolate leaves. As can be seen in the picture, the leaves are finely and densely tuberculate. Some of the other recorded variaties, like var. dolomitica and cultivars Mzimduzi and Pongola, have smooth or almost smooth leaves.

The variety is found in the Barberton area in Mpumalanga, sadly only known in cultivation today. It used to grow in northern KwaZulu-Natal and the Mpumalanga and Limpopo Lowveld. The other variety of G. batesiana, viz. var. dolomitica is found only near Penge in Limpopo.

In habitat the plant mainly grows on rocky outcrops and bushveld cliffs. The variety is considered near threatened in its habitat early in the twenty first century, due to harvesting for the traditional medicine trade  (www.plantzafrica.com; http://redlist.sanbi.org).