Astroloba
Astroloba is a genus of flowering plants in the family Asphodelaceae, subfamily Asphodeloideae,[2] native to the Cape Province of South Africa.[1]
The name of the genus is derived from the Greek words astros, star, and lobos, lobe, and refers to the starlike shape of the petals, which appear at the end of the tube-like flowers.
They are very closely related to the genus Haworthia, but are distinguished by their flowers being regular and not double-tipped. The flowers are small and white, and appear clustered on slender racemes.[3]
They bear very regular, sharp, triangular, succulent leaves along their symmetrical columnar stems. The leaves are in a number of distinctive spiral arrangements.[4] They are slow growing, multi-stemmed, and their longer stems tend to sprawl in their rocky natural habitat.
Within the genus, various subgroupings can be recognised, based on shared characteristics. The Foliolosa Complex (including the entities robusta, foliolosa and congesta) can be distinguished by the glossy sheen to their leaves, and by their flowers with long bracts, short pedicels, smooth perianth tubes and broad cream-white lobes.
These species are restricted to the dryer inland regions of the southern Cape, South Africa. In their arid natural habitat, they tend to favour semi-shade positions, with well-drained soil and winter rainfall.[5]
