''Haworthiopsis reinwardtii'', formerly ''Haworthia reinwardtii'', is a species of succulent flowering plant in the family Asphodelaceae, native to the

Eastern Cape The Eastern Cape is one of the provinces of South Africa. Its capital is Bhisho, but its two largest cities are East London and Gqeberha. The second largest province in the country (at 168,966 km2) after Northern Cape, it was formed in ...

Province of South Africa. It is one of the species of '' Haworthiopsis'' that is commonly cultivated as an ornamental.

Description

It is a perennial

succulent In botany, succulent plants, also known as succulents, are plants with parts that are thickened, fleshy, and engorged, usually to retain water in arid climates or soil conditions. The word ''succulent'' comes from the Latin word ''sucus'', meani ...

, with stems growing to in height, with a basal rosette of white-spotted fleshy leaves arranged in a spiral pattern, and racemes of tubular pinkish-white flowers in spring. The plant spreads to form a mat, by means of freely-produced

offset Offset or Off-Set may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media * "Off-Set", a song by T.I. and Young Thug from the '' Furious 7: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack'' * ''Offset'' (EP), a 2018 EP by singer Kim Chung-ha * ''Offset'' (film), a 200 ...

s, also a convenient means of propagation. It is frequently confused with '' Haworthiopsis coarctata'' - a closely related species which occurs just to the west of this species' natural range and looks very similar. However ''H. reinwardtii'' has larger, flatter and whiter tubercles on its leaves (those of ''H. coarctata'' are smaller, smoother and rounder). ''H. reinwardtii'' also has thinner, narrower leaves.

Varieties

This variable species has a large number of recognised varieties, some of which are depicted below: File:Haworthia reinwardtii var chalumna - Robertson RSA.jpg, The ''Chalumnensis'' variety (''"chalumna"'') File:Haworthia reinwardtii var wesleyensis - Robertson RSA.jpg, The ''Wesleyensis'' variety File:Haworthia reinwardtii forma kaffirdriftensis Cacti.jpg, The ''Kaffirdriftensis'' variety File:Haworthia reinwardtii forma zebrina 2.jpg, The ''Zebrina'' variety File:Haworthia reinwardtii var olivacea 2.jpg, The ''Olivacea'' variety

Cultivation

''H. reinwardtii'' requires very well-drained soil and some exposure to sun. It does not tolerate prolonged exposure to temperatures below , so in temperate regions it must be grown under glass with heat. It has gained the Royal Horticultural Society's

Award of Garden Merit The Award of Garden Merit (AGM) is a long-established annual award for plants by the British Royal Horticultural Society (RHS). It is based on assessment of the plants' performance under UK growing conditions. History The Award of Garden Merit ...

References

*(Salm-Dyck) Haw., Saxifrag. Enum. 2: 53 (1821). {{Taxonbar, from=Q42961782, from2=Q646636 reinwardtii Flora of the Cape Provinces Endemic flora of South Africa Garden plants