''Glottiphyllum nelii'' is a

species In biology, a species is the basic unit of classification and a taxonomic rank of an organism, as well as a unit of biodiversity. A species is often defined as the largest group of organisms in which any two individuals of the appropriate s ...

succulent In botany, succulent plants, also known as succulents, are plants with parts that are thickened, fleshy, and engorged, usually to retain water in arid climates or soil conditions. The word ''succulent'' comes from the Latin word ''sucus'', meani ...

plant, in the family

Aizoaceae The Aizoaceae, or fig-marigold family, is a large family of dicotyledonous flowering plant Flowering plants are plants that bear flowers and fruits, and form the clade Angiospermae (), commonly called angiosperms. The term "angiosperm" is d ...

. It is indigenous to the arid

Great Karoo The Karoo ( ; from the Afrikaans borrowing of the South Khoekhoe !Orakobab or Khoemana word ''ǃ’Aukarob'' "Hardveld") is a semi- desert natural region of South Africa. No exact definition of what constitutes the Karoo is available, so its ex ...

region,

South Africa South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the southernmost country in Africa. It is bounded to the south by of coastline that stretch along the South Atlantic and Indian Oceans; to the north by the neighbouring countri ...

Description

The leaves are shiny, green and distichous (produced in two parallel ranks), with smooth, rounded tips. This species often has lines of translucent cells, along the margins and keel of its leaves. This character can often be used to identify ''G. nelii''. The seed capsule has 8 or fewer locules, high valves (over ), and a thick, angular, conical base. After it has dried, the capsule soon falls off from the plant. It resembles its closest relative ''

Glottiphyllum oligocarpum ''Glottiphyllum oligocarpum'' is a species of succulent plant, in the family Aizoaceae. It is indigenous to arid areas of the Little Karoo, in the Western Cape, South Africa. Description It produces its leaves in two ranks (distichous), having m ...

'', in its general form, but its leaves are glossy and do not have any waxy, white covering.

Distribution

This species occurs in shaley-loamy soils - often in the shelter of bushes - in an east–west belt, north of the Swartberg Mountain range, in the

Western Cape The Western Cape is a province of South Africa, situated on the south-western coast of the country. It is the fourth largest of the nine provinces with an area of , and the third most populous, with an estimated 7 million inhabitants in 2020 ...

and

Eastern Cape The Eastern Cape is one of the provinces of South Africa. Its capital is Bhisho, but its two largest cities are East London and Gqeberha. The second largest province in the country (at 168,966 km2) after Northern Cape, it was formed in ...

provinces,

References

nelii {{Aizoaceae-stub