Gasteria bicolor

Native to South Africa, especially the Eastern Cape, this clump-forming succulent herb grows in thicket vegetation, often sheltered beneath shrubs. Fleshy, strap-shaped leaves bear pale spots and may be arranged in two rows or twisted rosettes. Upright, sometimes branching flower stalks carry pendant tubular flowers. The swollen bases are pink, becoming paler toward the green-tipped openings. The species is variable in leaf size and arrangement. It tolerates drought. Offshoots and leaf cuttings provide new plants. Photographed in Colombia.