Gasteria species are endemic plants of the floral region Capensis. The genus is a member of the Xanthorrhoeaceae family, Asphodeloideae subfamily, thus a close relative of the genera Aloë and Haworthia. It got its scientific name after the stomach-shape flowers. Distribution of the majority of the taxa shown no overlapping in the nature, thus there are a strict geographic separation between them. Members of the genus Gasteria are rather hard to identify in the nature, thus the variability within the species, or even within the individual populations is very high. At the borders of the populations, or even at the cohabiting areas of two taxa, the intermediary forms shown a nice continuity. Altogether there are almost 100 taxa described. Nevertheless, most of the recent studies agree that the number of the species is between 16 and 23. In culture, for an identical seed production, the flowering plants should be separated, since nectar-eating insects visit their flowers. One of the most frequently cultivated forms is the Gasteria nitida var. armstrongii, which occurs in the nature along the River Gamtos, Eastern Cape, South African Republic. Gasteria bicolor var. liliputana also originates from Eastern Cape. At several places, the areas of the two forms overlaps, but the microhabitat requirements inhibit the mixing of their populations. Nevertheless, in the culture, there are no such borders, thus the two taxa freely crosses, proved by plant of hybrid origin in the Botanical Garden of the Eötvös Loránd University.
