Greek glotta—tongue, phyllon—leaf, referring to the fleshy tongue-like leaves.
Tufted perennial herbs with the internodes not visible. Leaves generally in unequal pairs but in 2 ranks, sometimes the pairs crossing over one another and often swollen at the base, occasionally with translucent spots. Flowers solitary with 4 sepals. Petals more or less free, yellow. Ovary with 8-20 chambers and ovules with parietal placentation.
A number of species may be found, especially in collections but the most commonly encountered is G. oligocarpum L. Bolus; it has ranked leaves in unequal pairs, pale grey-green with conspicuous spots especially towards the tip. The yellow flowers may be up to 6 cm wide.
Seed or cuttings.
Tongue-like 2-ranked leaves in unequal pairs; flowers yellow.
About 55 species from South Africa.
Hartmann & Gölling (1993).
Source: (1997). Aizoaceae. In: . Horticultural Flora of South-eastern Australia. Volume 2. Flowering plants. Dicotyledons. Part 1. The identification of garden and cultivated plants. University of New South Wales Press.
