Origin and Habitat: Gasteria bicolor var. liliputana is common around the Kap River Mountains of Grahamstown and extends to the eastern Suurberg in the Alicedale district.
Habitat and ecology: This species occurs in the thickets occurring along the Grahamstown quartzitic sandstone mountain range. The plants grow in shallow soil in the shade of thorny thickets dominated by succulent plants. Its habitat is often rocky. Here the climate is dry and hot and frost is very light or absent. Rainfall is mainly during the warmer summer months ranging between 500-600 mm per annum and winters are dry but there are occasional cold fronts that bring ample rains in winter. Rainfall is variable, even in summer, and this gasteria is able to survive periods of drought.

• Gasteria bicolor var. liliputana (Poelln.) van Jaarsv.
• Gasteria liliputana Poelln.

• Gasteria bicolor Haw.
• Aloe bicolor (Haw.) Schult. & Schult.f.
• Aloe bowieana Salm-Dyck
• Aloe dictyodes Schult.f.
• Aloe lingua Ker Gawl.
• Gasteria biformis Poelln.
• Gasteria caespitosa Poelln.
• Gasteria chamaegigas Poelln.
• Gasteria colubrina N.E.Br.
• Gasteria herreana Poelln.
• Gasteria humilis Poelln.
• Gasteria kirsteana Poelln.
• Gasteria loeriensis Poelln.
• Gasteria longiana Poelln.
• Gasteria longibracteata Poelln.
• Gasteria maculata Haw.
• Aloe maculata Thunb.
• Gasteria maculata var. dregeana A.Berger in Engl.
• Gasteria marmorata Baker
• Gasteria multiplex Poelln.
• Gasteria obliqua (Haw.) Duval
• Aloe maculata var. obliqua W.T.Aiton
• Aloe obliqua Haw.
• Gasteria picta
• Gasteria planifolia Baker
• Aloe planifolia Baker
• Gasteria retata Haw.
• Gasteria salmdyckiana Poelln.
• Gasteria spiralis Baker
• Gasteria spiralis var. tortulata Baker
• Gasteria variolosa Baker
• Gasteria zeyheri Baker
• Aloe zeyheri Salm-Dyck

• Gasteria bicolor var. fallax (Haw.) van Jaarsv.
• Aloe obliqua var. fallax (Haw.) Schult. & Schult.f.
• Gasteria maculata var. fallax Haw.

• Gasteria bicolor var. liliputana (Poelln.) van Jaarsv.
• Gasteria liliputana Poelln.

Description: Gasteria bicolorSN|950]]SN|950]] var. liliputana is a miniature mat-forming variety, perhaps the smallest variety in the entire Gasteria genus. Plants boast leaves with leaves in a rosette only a few cm long, each rosette reaching only about 25 mm in height. However intermediate forms between var. bicolor nor var. liliputana are also common in habitat and cultivation too. Gasteria bicolorSN|950]]SN|950]] var. liliputana proliferates from the base forming dense groups of up to ten or more individuals. Somewhat variable, but easily recognised, var. liliputana is widely cultivated by pot plant collectors.
Leaves: (1.5-)3-5(-10) cm long, and 8-14 mm broad, narrowly lorate (tongue-like), strap-shaped tapering, with a rounded or acute top, dark green, smooth, white spotted and glossy. The leaves of young plants are distichous (arranged in two opposite ranks) and look quite different to the adult leaves.
Inflorescence: The inflorescence is a simple, elongated raceme, much taller than the leaves, reaching 16-40 cm tall.
Flowers: Perianth 12-15 mm long, pendulous, tubular, and reddish pink in colour. They are rich in nectar and are pollinated by various sunbirds.
Blooming season: Flowers can be produced at any time of the year, but peak flowering time is in midwinter to spring.

Bibliography: Major references and further lectures
1) Doreen Court “Succulent Flora of Southern Africa” CRC Press, 01/June/2000
2) Wikipedia contributors. "Gasteria bicolor." Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia, 11 Oct. 2016. Web. 11 Oct. 2016.
3) “Gasteria bicolor var. liliputana (V.Poelln.) Van Jaarsv.” in: Plantzafrica <http://www.plantzafrica.com/plantefg/gasteriabicollil.htm> Web. 31 October 2016
4) Van Jaarsveld, E.J. 1994. “Gasterias of South Africa”. Fernwood Press, Cape Town.
5) Van Jaarsveld, E.J. 2007. “The genus Gasteria, a synoptic review”. Aloe 44: 4: 84–103.