This is a variable species, with many forms and varieties.
Like most Gasteria species, it also grades into related species, sometimes with a smooth range of intermediates.
A few forms have become popular in cultivation:
'Cala' (named after the locality for the northernmost range of this species) has robust, short, compact leaves with wrinkled margins
'Gaika' (from Stutterheim) has paler, striped leaves
'Nquancule' has long sharp scimitar shaped leaves, not unlike Gasteria acinacifolia.

In the north along the Mzimvubu river, a transitional form, between Gasteria excelsa and its northern neighbour Gasteria croucheri, is now considered to be a separate transitional species, Gasteria loedolffiae, with some features of both G. excelsa and G. croucheri.

Physically it resembles G. croucheri (although with a more dull matt green colour and young plants are more asperulous than tubercled) while its flowers more closely resemble those of G. excelsa.
This is a variable species, with many forms and varieties. Like most Gasteria species, it also grades into related species, sometimes with a smooth range of intermediates. A few forms have become popular in cultivation:
'Cala' (named after the locality for the northernmost range of this species) has robust, short, compact leaves with wrinkled margins
'Gaika' (from Stutterheim) has paler, striped leaves
'Nquancule' has long sharp scimitar shaped leaves, not unlike Gasteria acinacifolia.
In the north along the Mzimvubu river, a transitional form, between Gasteria excelsa and its northern neighbour Gasteria croucheri, is now considered to be a separate transitional species, Gasteria loedolffiae, with some features of both G. excelsa and G. croucheri.
Physically it resembles G. croucheri (although with a more dull matt green colour and young plants are more asperulous than tubercled) while its flowers more closely resemble those of G. excelsa.
Gasteria excelsa