The Haworthia Page

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The majority of Old World succulent monocotyledons are grouped into the Aloaceae, a medium sized family of rosulate leaf succulents including Aloe, Astroloba, Bulbine, Chortolirion, Gasteria, Haworthia and Poellnitzia. The largest genus is Aloe with more than 400 species. The Aloaceae are distributed across southern Africa, Arabia, Madagascar and the Mascarene Islands. A few Bulbines are found in Australia.

Click on the pictures below for a higher quality image.

The Haworthia Society
was established in 1986, with the aim of fostering interest in the culture and propagation of all plants in the genus Haworthia and encouraging study of all matters relating to cultivation and taxonomy with a free interchange of knowledge between members.
The Haworthia Society publishes a Journal, Haworthiad, covering a range of topics about Astroloba, Bulbine, Chortolirion, Haworthia and Gasteria, and stages a Show every two years. Seedlists are published or announced in the Journal as seed becomes available.

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Astroloba Uitewaal 1947
Greek: astros=star + lobus=lobe, referring to the flower shape

This genus contains 6 species closely related to Haworthia. Thin creeping or upright stems are packed with triangular leaves. The small white flowers are regular, unlike those of Haworthia, but clustered into similar racemes. Found in South Africa.

Right: Astroloba aspera
A drawing by Joyce Cocozza of a plant in the collection of Robert D. Swan, Maryland, USA.

Astroloba congesta Uitewaal 1947
Syn. Haworthia congesta This species grows quite large but tends to sprawl as the stems elongate. The dark green leaves are hard and smooth with sharp points and no tubercles.

Native to the Eastern Cape of South Africa.

Chortolirion Berger 1908
Greek: chortos=feeding place, referring to a grassland habitat + lirion=lily

Chortolirion angolense in this monotypic genus, has an underground bulb and narrow grass-like leaves which die back in winter. The flowers are very similar to Haworthia. It grows in grassland to 6000 ft in Southern Africa.

Haworthia Henri Duval 1809
named for: Adrian H. Haworth (1768-1833), English botanist

The genus Haworthia includes more than 70 species of small succulent plants from Southern Africa, generally with fleshy leaves formed into a rosette. Individual leaves may have pointed, blunt or rounded tips. Many species are green but others display a range of brown or reddish-brown pigments, especially in direct sunlight, and leaves may be attractively marked. The leaves of some species have transluscent "windows" on their upper surface.

There is considerable variation of form between different species, and subspecies. The species currently accepted incorporate many formerly separate species. In their habitat the plants often benefit from the shade of shrubby plants or rocks, which also afford protection from predators. The irregular two-lipped flowers are generally small, white, tubular and on the end of a long flower spike which may be simple or branched. Differences in flower form are used to group individual species into sub-genera (Haworthia, Hexangulares, Robustipedunculares).

Cultivation

Many Haworthias are compact plants, suitable for a small collection, and tolerating partial shade. They are often seen below the staging in glasshouses, but may not develop their full colour in such a position. Their growing season tends to be during the winter months and roots are often lost during summer months. Watering at the wrong time of year may kill the plant, so some sensitivity to the active growing cycle is required. Haworthias produce spikes of small white tubular flowers, but are generally grown for their decorative leaf markings and architectural forms. Occasional watering with systemic insecticides based on Imidacloprid will keep the plants free of mealy bugs, their main pest.

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 fleshy 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 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 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 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 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 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 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.

Haworthia limifolia Marloth 1908 (Fairy Washboard)
The dark-green to brown or almost black solitary rosettes are formed from spirally-arranged lanceolate 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. Leaf surfaces 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 plant worthy of cultivation. Several slightly different H. truncata hybrids are in circulation.
	*Haworthia marumiana* Uitewaal 1940 The pointed bright green 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. The 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 fleshy 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 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 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 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 is probably 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. The 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 Harowthia usually is a solitary, tight rosette of fleshy, deltoid leaves whose windowed leaf tips are marked with linear light green or light brownish stripes. This species can offset and freely proliferating forms are known, especially among cultivated plants. Native to the Western Cape of South Africa near Riversdale. Needs full sun to stay compact.
*Haworthia truncata var. truncata* Bayer 1982 Syn. Haworthia truncata f. tenuis von Poellnitz 1938 A small plant with fleshy, dark-green leaves arranged in a row either side of the growing point (distichous). The flattened, translucent ends of the leaves have a cut off appearance, hence the epiphet. 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. 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.
	*Haworthia venosa ssp. tessellata* Bayer 1982 Syn. H. tessellata Haworth 1824 This is a classic Haworthia with windowed and geometrically patterned triangular brownish-green 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 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.

Poellnitzia Uitewaal 1940
named for: Joseph Karl L. A. von Poellnitz (1896-1945), German botanist.

Poellnitzia rubriflora in this monotypic genus, has very similar vegetation to Astroloba and therefore to Haworthia, except that the inflorescence consists of a horizontal raceme of bright red tubular flowers, held upright. The flowers fail to open properly. Found in winter rainfall areas of the Western Cape.

Literature

Haworthia and Astroloba: A Collector's Guide by John Pilbeam (1983)
Publisher: B.T. Batsford Ltd., London. United Kingdom. ISBN: 0-7134-0534-1
- out of print classic but often available second-hand.

Illustrated Handbook of Succulent Plants: Monocotyledons Edited by Urs Eggli (2001)
Publisher: Springer-Verlag New York. ISBN: 3540416927
Volume relevant to Haworthia from a series of comprehensive taxonomic treatments of succulent plants.

Astroloba Uitewaal 1947 Greek: astros=star + lobus=lobe, referring to the flower shape

Chortolirion Berger 1908 Greek: chortos=feeding place, referring to a grassland habitat + lirion=lily