About Gasteria brachyphylla (Salm-Dyck) van Jaarsv.
This Gasteria species has strap-shaped leaves arranged in two opposite rows, a growth habit known as distichous. Its flowers are 12–22 mm long. It is very closely related to and resembles Gasteria pillansii and Gasteria disticha, which grow to the north and are also distichous. Gasteria brachyphylla can be distinguished from these two relatives by its distinctly shiny, smooth leaves; the leaves of its relatives are rough due to covering in tiny tubercles. The species epithet "brachyphylla" translates to "wide/short leaves", and this species' leaves are indeed shorter than the leaves of its close relatives. It is a proliferous species, produces pink flowers that typically appear around September. In terms of distribution, this species grows under shrubs in Succulent Karoo vegetation of the Little Karoo, located in the Western Cape, South Africa. Its range extends west to Barrydale and east to Uniondale.
