''Haworthiopsis reinwardtii'', formerly ''Haworthia reinwardtii'', is a

species In biology, a species is the basic unit of classification and a taxonomic rank of an organism, as well as a unit of biodiversity. A species is often defined as the largest group of organisms in which any two individuals of the appropriate s ...

of succulent

flowering plant Flowering plants are plants that bear flowers and fruits, and form the clade Angiospermae (), commonly called angiosperms. The term "angiosperm" is derived from the Greek words ('container, vessel') and ('seed'), and refers to those plants th ...

in the

family Family (from la, familia) is a Social group, group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or Affinity (law), affinity (by marriage or other relationship). The purpose of the family is to maintain the well-being of its ...

Asphodelaceae Asphodelaceae is a family of flowering plants in the order Asparagales. Such a family has been recognized by most taxonomists, but the circumscription has varied widely. In its current circumscription in the APG IV system, it includes about 40 ...

native Native may refer to: People * Jus soli, citizenship by right of birth * Indigenous peoples, peoples with a set of specific rights based on their historical ties to a particular territory ** Native Americans (disambiguation) In arts and entert ...

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 South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the southernmost country in Africa. It is bounded to the south by of coastline that stretch along the South Atlantic and Indian Oceans; to the north by the neighbouring countri ...

. It is one of the species of ''

Haworthiopsis ''Haworthiopsis'' is a genus of succulent plants in the subfamily Asphodeloideae. The genus was previously included in ''Haworthia''. Species in the genus are typically short perennial plants, with leaves often arranged in a rosette and frequent ...

'' that is commonly cultivated as an ornamental.

Description

It is a

perennial A perennial plant or simply perennial is a plant that lives more than two years. The term ('' per-'' + '' -ennial'', "through the years") is often used to differentiate a plant from shorter-lived annuals and biennials. The term is also wide ...

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 Propagation can refer to: *Chain propagation in a chemical reaction mechanism *Crack propagation, the growth of a crack during the fracture of materials *Propaganda, non-objective information used to further an agenda *Reproduction, and other forms ...

. It is frequently confused with ''

Haworthiopsis coarctata ''Haworthiopsis coarctata'', formerly ''Haworthia coarctata'', is a species of flowering succulent plant from the Eastern Cape Province, South Africa and naturalized in Mexico. It is one of the species of '' Haworthiopsis'' that is commonly culti ...

'' - 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 In geography, the temperate climates of Earth occur in the middle latitudes (23.5° to 66.5° N/S of Equator), which span between the tropics and the polar regions of Earth. These zones generally have wider temperature ranges throughout t ...

regions it must be grown under glass with heat. It has gained the

Royal Horticultural Society The Royal Horticultural Society (RHS), founded in 1804 as the Horticultural Society of London, is the UK's leading gardening charity. The RHS promotes horticulture through its five gardens at Wisley (Surrey), Hyde Hall (Essex), Harlow Carr (Nort ...

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