Glottiphyllum nelii has transparent dots and ridges along some leaf margins. The yellowish discolouring may be caused by some stress factor.

These plants spread flat on the ground, covering patches of about 30 cm in diameter. Exposure to full sun and maybe drought contribute to the leaf colour variations observed in Glottiphyllum plants. Leaf colours range from light or bright green, even grey-green to dark pink, magenta or purple (Smith, et al, 1998).