The Haworthia Page

Haworthia arachnoidea Duval 1809 This variable plant is distributed across the Western & Eastern South African Cape.   Haworthia arachnoidea var. pearsonii Halda 1997  Syn. H. pearsonii Wright 1907 Low rosettes are formed from many succulent light-green leaves with bristly margins and translucent stripes on their tips.

Haworthia attenuata  Haworth 1812   Includes many fomerly separate species currently lumped into just two varieties: H. attenuata var attenuata and H. attenuata var. radula. The upper leaf surfaces are marked with non-confluent, white tubercles with considerable variation between different clones. The lower leaf surface is variably marked with dotted or banded tubercles.   The white banded form H. attenuata f. caespitosa is commonly grown as H. fasciata, with which it is confusingly similar, but is more correctly included with H. attenuata var attenuata.   All forms of Haworthia attenuata are native to the Eastern South African Cape.
H. attenuata var attenuata Bayer 1982		H. attenuata f. caespitosa Bayer 1982	H. attenuata var. radula Bayer 1999  Syn. H. radula

Haworthia bolusii  Baker 1880  2 varieties currently accepted:   Left: Haworthia bolusii var. blackbeardiana  Bayer 1982 Rosettes up to 6 inches in diameter are formed from many translucent green succulent leaves, fringed with white spines. Native to the Eastern Cape.   Haworthia bolusii var. bolusii  Scott 1985 generally has a smaller rosette of incurved leaves that form a tight ball if the plant is grown reasonably hard.

Haworthia coarctata  Haworth 1824 This variable species has at least 4 varieties which incorporate numerous older synonyms. The succulent leaves are packed around the stem to make a solid column. Individual leaves from different plants may be almost smooth or covered with white tuberculate spots and vary somewhat in length and degree of curvature. In full sun the leaves colour up red. Given sufficient room, the plant offsets at the base and tends to sprawl, but with a little support can make a handsome columnar pot plant. There is a tendency for older leaves to dry up at the base of the stem. It can be a challenge to produce a perfect plant without any dead leaves in the middle of a column. Native to the Eastern Cape of South Africa. Haworthia coarctata fa. greenii  Bayer 1999 Syn. H. greenii  Baker 1880   A variety of H. coarctata without white tubercles on the leaves, making a similar columnar plant.

Haworthia cuspidata  Haworth 1819 Probably not a true species, but a horticultural hybrid between H. cymbiformis and H. retusa.An individual rosette can make a handsome succulent plant but tends to clump up freely into a mass of smaller rosettes.   Quite common in cultivation.

Haworthia cymbiformis var. cymbiformis  Bayer 1982 Syn. H. planifolia Haworth 1825   The rosettes are formed from obovate green succulent leaves, unmarked and without windows but colouring up in full sun. There are numerous synonyms and varieties including a variegated cultivar.   Native to the Eastern Cape of South Africa.

Haworthia glauca var. herrei  Bayer 1999 Syn. H. herrei  von Poellnitz 1929 The lanceolate blue-green succulent leaves are packed around the stem to make a dense column with a spiky appearance. Plants clump up freely by offsetting at the base.   Native to the Eastern Cape of South Africa.

	Haworthia herbacea  Stearn 1938 Four varieties have been described. The small rosettes, up to 3 inches in diameter, are composed of many triangular succulent leaves fringed with white spines. The rosettes clump up slowly by offsetting at the base, but this plant will never take much space in a collection.   Native to the Western Cape and Karoo of South Africa.
	Haworthia x kewensis  von Poellnitz 1940 'Kewensis' indicates Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew as the origin of the plant.   Described from a specimen sent from Kew to von Poellnitz as Haworthia peacockii but of unknown provenance.Probably of hybrid origin but nevertheless makes a fine specimen.

Above: Haworthia limifolia  Marloth 1908 (Fairy Washboard) The dark-green to brown or almost black solitary rosettes are formed from spirally-arranged lanceolate succulent leaves marked with transverse ridges or tubercles and with inrolled margins.   Native to Mozamique, Swazilan and KwaZulu-Natal.

Haworthia longiana  von Poellnitz 1937 Named for: F.R. Long.  Haworthia longiana has stemless rosettes formed with hard, rigid curved leaves up to 12 in long x 1 in wide. The surfaces of the succulent leaves have minute indistinct tubercles or roughening. A form with white tubercles has been described as H. longiana var. albinota GG Smith 1948. Mature rosettes offset at their base to form large clumps.   Native to a small area of the Eastern South African Cape. Very slow growing.

Haworthia mantellii  Uitewaal 1947 Not a real species but probably a hybrid between H. truncata x H. cuspidata. The leaf tips have windows reminiscent of those of H. truncata.   A handsome succulent plant worthy of cultivation. Several slightly different H. truncata hybrids are in circulation.

		Haworthia marumiana  Uitewaal 1940 The pointed bright green succulent leaves have marginal spines and a transluscent quality with linear pale green reticulation, especially near their ends.   Distributed across the Western to Eastern Cape of South Africa.
	Haworthia marumiana var. batesiana (Uitewaal) M.B.Bayer 1999 Syn. Haworthia batesiana Uitewaal 1948 Named for: George Latimer Bates, American ornithologist and botanist.  This species has miniature 2 in rosettes with translucent bright green leaves marked with a net of deeper green. These succulent leaves have smooth margins and a terminal white spine. Rosettes offset freely to form dense clumps.   Native to the Western & Eastern South African Cape.

Haworthia mucronata  Haworth 1819   Numerous synonmys are lumped together into five varieties.   Haworthia mucronata var. altinlinea  Halda 1997 Syn. Haworthia altilinea  Haworth 1824   The light-green succulent leaves have transluscent windows near their tips. The rosettes clump up freely to make a large mass. Native to the Western Cape and Little Karoo of South Africa.

	Haworthia parksiana  von Poellnitz 1936 Name: from catalogue number 'Parks 636/32' referring to Port Elizabeth Parks, not a person.  A very small Haworthia with tight, stemless rosettes of hard dark-green furnished with small tubercles.   Native to a small region of the Western Cape between Mossel Bay and Great Brak River, normally found growing in leaf litter under bushes. Very slow growing and dislikes excess water. Will eventually offset to form a mound.
		Haworthia pumilla  Duval 1809  Syn. H. Margaretifera pumila = small, dwarf, referring to the original description as Aloe pumila.  The incurved triangular leaves are sparsely marked with large white-ish tubercles. One branch of a multi-branched inflorescence is shown.   This species is currently lumped with H. herbacea but is a much bigger succulent plant and one of the larger Haworthia species. Native to the Western Cape of South Africa. Makes a handsome pot plant, although the tips of the leaves have a habit of drying out.

Haworthia pygmaea  von Poellnitz 1929 The rosettes are formed from thick, triangular greyish succulent leaves with some longitudinal white stripes or spots.   Native to the Western Cape of South Africa.

Haworthia rigida  Haworth 1821 Despite a long history of various synonyms starting with Aloe cylindrica var rigida  Lamark 1783   this isprobably not a valid species. Possibly a hybrid of garden origin.

Photo: Diana Burrola

Haworthia reinwardtii  Haworth 1821 Triangular dark-green leaves with white tuberculate spots are packed densely around the stem to form a neat column.These succulent plants clump up by offsetting the the base.   Native to the Eastern Cape of South Africa.

	Haworthia resendeana  von Poellnitz 1938   Possibly of hybrid origin.
	Haworthia retusa  Duval 1809  Syn. Haworthia mirabilis ssp. mundula This Haworthia is usually a solitary, tight rosette of succulent, deltoid leaves whose windowed leaf tips are marked with linear light green or light brownish stripes. This species offsets and freely proliferating plants are known, especially among cultivated forms.   Native to the Western Cape of South Africa near Riversdale. Needs full sun to stay compact.   Lower left: Haworthia retusa var. variegata A somewhat paler selected form.
	Haworthia truncata var. truncata  Bayer 1982 Syn. Haworthia truncata f. tenuis von Poellnitz 1938   Left: A small plant with fleshy, dark-green leaves arranged in a row either side of the growing point (distichous). The flattened, translucent ends of these succulent leaves have a cut off appearance, hence the epithet. The leaf surfaces have minute tubercles. The fleshy roots are liable to rot, spreading to the rest of the plant, if the substrate is excessively wet.   Native to Cape Province of South Africa where it would grow with just the tips of the windowed leaves visible at the surface of the ground, allowing the intense sunlight to penetrate into the body of the plant. This plant is usually cultivated raised up above the substrate. Needs a lot of light and a dry Winter if the leaves are to remain compact. Prone to meally bug getting in between the leaves.   Left: As the plant gets larger, offsets are produced whose main axis is often orientated differently to the original plant's row of leaves. From a display by Craig House Cacti at the 2015 Chelsea Flower Show.
		Haworthia venosa ssp. tessellata  Bayer 1982  Syn. H. tessellata Haworth 1824 This is a classic Haworthia with windowed and geometrically-patterned triangular brownish-green succulent leaves forming a small rosette, spreading by offsetting and via stolons. An attractive, easy plant for a pan, often grown under the older synonym. Native to South Namibia and Northern RSA.
			Haworthia viscosa  Haworth 1812 Green triangular succulent leaves are densely packed in (usually) three rows to form upright columns. The plants clump up by offsetting at the base.   Distributed across the Eastern and Western Cape and Little Karoo.