Gasteria croucheri (Hook.F.) Baker

Plants acaulescent, decumbent to erect, 250-400 mm tall and up to 600 mm in diameter, solitary, dividing or proliferating from the base to form dense groups. Roots succulent, up to 6 mm in diameter. Leaves rosulate, 200-360 mm long, 30-100 mm broad at the base, triangular, linear-lanceolate, rarely lorate, erectly spreading, rarely patent or recurved; adaxial surface canaliculate, plane towards apex; abaxial surface somewhat convex with a distinctly excentric keel; both surfaces dark green, often glaucous, with dense white spots arranged in transverse bands; epidermis smooth, rarely slightly asperulous; margin tuberculate-serrulate, rarely denticulate; apex obtuse or acute, mucronate. Juvenile leaves distichous, lorate, patent to erectly spreading smooth or asperulous; apex acute, rarely obtuse, mucronate. Inflorescence variable: a flat-topped panicle up to 500 mm tall, or racemose, with or without a pair of side branches; racemes horizontal (rarely erectly spreading), often drooping, scape 6-10 mm broad at the base, flattened; floral bracts 5 mm long piliferous; pedicel 6-7 mm long pink Perianth 28-40 mm long stipitate for up to 6 mm, gasteriform basally (narrow-elliptic) for half its length; the gasteriform portion 5-9 mm wide (often triangular in cross section), pink the upper half white with green striations, inflated to the same diameter as the lower portion (with a slight constriction in the middle); apices erect becoming erectly spreading obtuse; margins of inner segments free and channelled at the base for 5 to 6 mm, diverging gradually towards the apex. Stamens 28-30 mm long; anthers 2 mm long included or shortly exserted Ovary 7-12 mm long and 3 mm in diameter; style 20-25 mm long; stigma included or shortly exserted, curved upwards, minute. Capsule 18-25 mm long obtuse at apex. Seeds 3-4 mm long 2-3 mm wide. Flowering time November to February.