A genus of small succulent plants with thick, fleshy leaves, native to South Africa, often grown as houseplants.
From Greek 'gaster' (belly/stomach), named because the flowers are swollen or belly-shaped at the base. The genus was named by botanists in the 19th century for this distinctive floral characteristic.
The plant is named after its blooms look like little bellies—and it turns out the scientific eye in the 1800s was delightfully more willing to name things after what they resembled, which is why we have plants named for stomachs, beards, and flying ducks.
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