Gasteria is a genus of 23 species of succulent plants indigenous to South Africa with all except one being endemic to South Africa. Closely related genera include Aloe, Astroloba and Haworthia. The genus name Gasteria is named for its stomach-shaped flowers. In Greek, gaster, means belly, and alludes to the swollen base of the perianth tube. The genus is part of the family Asphodeloideae. Common names include cow-tongue cactus, lawyer’s tongue, mother-in-law’s tongue and ox-tongue. Gasteria species are grown in well-drained, sandy soils in light shade. Gasterias thrive in cultivation both indoors and outdoors, used as potted plants or in outdoor rockeries and are tolerant of a wide range of soils and habitats. The flowers attract birds to the garden during spring. With their ability to grow under lower light conditions they are easily grown and maintained in cultivation. Gasterias are used in various traditional medicines. In the Eastern Cape Gasteria excelsa and Gasteria croucheri are said to have magical properties and are occasionally put on the roofs of homes to stop lightning from striking the house. There are also reports that the plants are used during faction fighting in a belief that it will make them invisible to their enemies.

Gasteria brachyphylla commonly known as Klein Karoo ox-tongue in English and Klein Karoo-beestong and boesmanrys in Afrikaans is a beautiful endemic species distributed throughout the Klein Karoo in the Western Cape province of South Africa. They easily form off-sets and thrive in cultivation. Plants are 7.5cm to 23cm in diameter and have a short, decumbent to erect stem 2.5cm to 23cm high. The smooth leaves grow in two opposite rows and have dense white spots arranged in obscure transverse bands. The species epithet brachyphylla means short-leaved in Greek. Their stippled look, make them hard to detect in the dappled shade of the plants under which they are usually found. Although it can be grown in full sun, plants prefer some slight shade, and in hot climates should therefore be protected from full sun. Plants should reach flowering size in about four years.