Gonialoe variegata is a dwarf species which looks like an aloe when it flowers but it actually more closely related to Gasteria than to aloes. It used to be called Aloe variegata but after recent genetic studies of the different aloe and aloe-like succulents found in South Africa, the name was changed to reflect the fact that is is an outlier genetically. In practice, this means that if you were trying to create interspecies hybrid, you would have more luck crossing these with Gasteria than with aloes although I have seen hybrids created with certain aloes.
It's found in very arid areas so it is easier to kill through overwatering than many other aloes are, which is why I am growing this one in clay rather than in a plastic pot. I had it in a plastic but it wasn't happy and the roots looked like they were dying off so I switched it into clay.
It isn't used medicinally but there are many interesting folk-beliefs attached to this plant. In Afrikaans, it is called Kanniedood which means "Can't die" because it will flower even when it's roots aren't in the soil, so it is associated with immortality and planted on graves. There is also a superstition that if a plant being cared for dies, so will the person taking care of it.
Plants were also hung in the roof of huts of young women and if the aloe flowered while in the roof, this was deemed to be a good omen for a girl's future fertility.
No pressure...
