Gasteria tukhelensis
G. tukhelensis
Section Longiflorae, Series Longifoliae
Gasteria tukhelensis was discovered on an expedition along the Tugela river in Northern KZN, hence it's name.
The climate is rather dry subtropical.
Unlike it's siblings in the Series longifolia (croucheri, acinacifolia), it doesn't become that big and is more or less a size between batesiana which occurs to the North of it and croucheri which grows further south.
One could confuse it for a rather big and very smooth batesiana.
Cover photo © Cok Grootscholten
G. tukhelensis show its sickle shaped leaves with a shiny surface. GA250
Plant shape
G. tukhelensis grows into a rozette. Juvenile plants are distichous but look similar for the rest.
Leaves are elongated triangular in shape and curved (sickle shaped). Cross section is also triangular. They are up to 25cm in length and max 5cm broad at the base. The leaf surface has many small pale green spots on a deep green background and may feel a little tubercled. But the surface is for the rest very smooth and shiny (unlike G. batesiana and croucheri).
G. tukhelensis could be confused with G. batesiana because of its similar flowers and shape, but it's smooth leaf surface is determining. It could also be confused for a young G. croucheri, but again, no croucheri has the shiny surface. Finally, a young plant may be confused with G. brachyphylla but when it grows older, it will start to turn into a rozette and flowers will give certainty.
G. tukhelensis produces offshoots from the base.
G. tukhelensis has a large flower. GA250
Flowers
The peduncle is about 50cm long and often branched.
Flowers large, 4-4.5cm, pink-red with a yellow-green mouth and the typical bend and waist in the middle. Pollinated by sunbirds.
Variability
G. tukhelensis does not have any described varieties or subspecies.
Where
G. tukhelensis was found growing on cliff faces of the Tugela river in northern KZN, close to the confluence with the Mzyniati river. It is probably confined to the lower Tugela near Kranskop.
See also the distribution map.
More pics
G. tukhelensis flowering
G. tukhelensis EVJ17996 at Kirstenbosch
© Photo by Tony Roberts
G. tukhelensis
© plant and photo by Tony Roberts