Gasteria acinacifolia

Native to South Africa’s Western and Eastern Cape coasts, this perennial succulent herb grows on coastal dunes and rocky ridges, often within dune thicket. It is the largest Gasteria species, forming solitary rosettes or small dense groups up to about thirty inches tall. Its long, sickle-shaped leaves are densely spotted with white; young plants initially arrange their leaves in two opposite rows. Mature plants produce spreading, often flat-topped flower stalks bearing long tubular flowers in spring and early summer. Sunbirds pollinate the flowers, and winged seeds disperse by wind. Detached leaves readily root and produce new plants, helping the species recover from trampling or grazing. Photographed in Ecuador.