Leaves equitant (distichous and overlapping), isobifacial. Leaves usually petiolate with distinct petiole and lamina, leaf arrangement distichous (spiral in Musaceae). The leaves are usually arranged along the stems in two opposite rows (distichous arrangement). They are alternate; spiral, or distichous, or four-ranked (such as in "Anisophyllea"). The plant grows as a tree or small shrub with distichous, subsessile, oblanceolate leaves. There are often ten along each stem, vertically arranged in distichous series. The leaves are distichous or spiraling, growing on thickened stems. Alternate distichous leaves will have an angle of 1/2 of a full rotation. The "armstrongii" plant has rough, tuberculate, recurved, purely distichous leaves, and a solitary unbranched inflorescence. Only in the genus "Distichia" are the leaves distichous. This species of "Gasteria" has its strap-shaped leaves in two opposite rows (distichous). They are flattened and are typically distichous, or two-ranked. One variety has distichous leaves, while in another the leaves spiral. Species with distichous (two-ranked), strap-shaped leaves which are usually without keels. It usually forms rosettes, but can sometimes be distichous, especially in cultivation.