Kumara haemanthifolia

Plants form dense groups of stemless rosettes of up to 0.7 m high. Leaves are strap-shaped with a rounded tip, arranged in a fan, up to 200 mm long, and ± 80 mm wide, with reddish, mostly toothless margins. Orange to scarlet flowers (± 38 mm long) are borne in unbranched inflorescences consisting of head-shaped, rather dense racemes (flower heads) in spring, between September and December, but mainly in October. This species is restricted to high mountain peaks from Stellenbosch to near Ceres, Western Cape, South Africa. It grows on almost inaccessible Table Mountain Sandstone cliffs in the Cape Fold Belt Mountains, in very wet, grassy and rocky places on south- and southeast-facing slopes. The habitat is not warm in summer, but above the snowline in winter and experiences high winter rainfall and significant mist.

Haworthia arachnoidea (L.) Duval.
Plants form a stemless rosette, with dense, incurving, light to dark green leaves. Rosettes vary between 60–120 mm in diameter and are usually solitary or occasionally forming small clusters. The keel and leaf margins bear long translucent spines that may be soft or become very sharp when dried (as in the var. scabrispina). This species is fairly widespread throughout the western parts of the Northern Cape, the far northern parts and interior of the Western Cape, and as far as Steytlerville and Jansenville in the Eastern Cape, South Africa. It usually grows on southern slopes under the shade of shrubs and other plants in Fynbos vegetation in sandy, acidic, well-drained soil. It often grows in rock crevices or the shelter of boulders. This species has 7 described and currently accepted varieties: var. arachnoidea, var. aranea, var. calitzdorpensis, var. namaquensis, var. nigricans, var. scabrispina and var. setata.

Haworthia cooperi Baker
Plants form a stemless rosette, with fairly dense, incurved, bright green, bluish green to pale greyish green, slightly translucent leaves. Rosettes vary between 20–80 mm in diameter and often form small groups. Leaves of some varieties are often very succulent and spineless, but in other varieties there are short soft spines on the keel and margins. This species is fairly widespread in the Eastern Cape as far northeast as King William’s Town and just enters the Western Cape at Nuwekloof, South Africa. It grows on flat areas or rocky slopes in dry open grassland, high-lying sourveld, dry Valley Bushveld and Karroid vegetation types. It often grows in the protection of boulders and other plants, or in exposed positions at the edge of rocky outcrops. This species has 13 described and currently accepted varieties: var. cooperi, var. dielsiana, var. doldii, var. gordoniana, var. gracilis, var. isabellae, var. leightonii, var. picturata, var. pilifera, var. tenera, var. truncata, var. venusta and var. viridis.

Haworthia decipiens Poelln.
Plants form stemless rosettes, with spreading to incurved, bright green leaves. Rosettes range from 20–100 mm in diameter and are solitary or sometimes in small groups. Leaves are relatively thin, with sparse marginal spines. This species occurs in the Western and Eastern Cape, South Africa, from Merweville in the west to Bosberg and Port Elizabeth in the east. It usually grows in the protection of boulders and low Karoo scrub or in thicket and other plants. This species has 5 described and currently accepted varieties: var. cyanea, var. decipiens, var. minor, var. virella and var. xiphiophylla.

Haworthia mucronata Haw.
Plants form a stemless rosette, with incurved, brilliant green to grey-green or purplish brown leaves. Rosettes are between 60–80(–120) mm in diameter and often form small groups. Leaves are soft and slightly pellucid, often with spines along the translucent keel and margins. This species is restricted to the Western Cape, South Africa, between Montagu in the west and Oudtshoorn in the east. It grows in Karroid and Renosterbos vegetation, often on mountain slopes, in rock crevices or in the protection of other plants. This species has 5 described and currently accepted varieties: var. habdomadis, var. inconfluens, var. morrisiae, var. mucronata and var. rycroftiana.

Tulista kingiana (Poelln.) Gideon F.Sm. & Molteno (= Haworthia kingiana Poelln.)

Plants form a stemless rosette, with erect to spreading, yellowish green leaves. Rosettes can be up to 180 mm tall, but are usually smaller than this, and occasionally form few-headed clusters. The leaf surface is scabrid (rarely glabrous) with white to concolorous, raised, non-confluent tubercles.

This species has a narrow distribution, restricted to a few scattered populations in the vicinity of Mossel Bay, Hartenbos, Great Brak, and near Herbertsdale in the Western Cape Province, South Africa. Plants are normally found in sandy soils, and either grow exposed in grassy terrain or sheltered beneath larger shrubs on sloped rocky areas.

Tulista minor (Aiton) Gideon F.Sm. & Molteno [= Haworthia minor (Aiton) Duval; H. minima (Aiton) Haw.]

Plants form a stemless rosette, with erect to spreading, light to darker green leaves (only occasionally bluish green). Rosettes are up to 150 mm tall, and occasionally form small clusters. The leaf surface is scabrid with white, raised, flattened, non-confluent tubercles. This species is morphologically variable, with many interesting and distinct geographical forms.

This is the most widespread species in the genus. It is mainly a coastal species, and is known from near Mossel Bay in the east, to Bredasdorp in the west, and to the north of the Langeberg Mountains, Western Cape Province, South Africa. The habitat varies considerably, but it is generally found in grassy vegetation.

Haworthiopsis attenuata (Haw.) G.D.Rowley [= Haworthia attenuata (Haw.) Haw.]

The zebra plant is an attractive rosette-forming plant, with erect to spreading leaves exhibiting an array of different leaf tubercle variation. Plants range from about 50 mm to 100 mm tall and form dense clusters. The white tubercles range from fine to conspicuous tubercles, scattered over the lower leaf surfaces, or forming confluent bands reminiscent of zebra bands, hence its common name.

This species is found widespread in the Eastern Cape, from near the Gamtoos River in the west to the Mbashe River in the east. This species has 2 described varieties, var. glabrata and var. radula.

Haworthiopsis glauca (Baker) G.D.Rowley (= Haworthia glauca Baker)

This species is similar in appearance to H. coarctata and H. reinwardtii by sharing the same stemmed growth habit, but differ in having glaucous grey-coloured leaves. In most forms the plants are without distinct white tubercles, however, white tubercles are found on the leaf surfaces in plants of the var. herrei. In this species, plants also proliferate from the base and occasionally along the stem to form clumps, growing up to about 200 mm tall.

This species is found further inland than the above-mentioned and is known from relatively drier areas.

Haworthiopsis limifolia (Marloth) G.D.Rowley (= Haworthia limifolia Marloth)

This species is well suited to rockeries in summer rainfall areas. Plants form attractive rosettes of spiralling leaves, varying from being smooth to tuberculate, often with the tubercles forming confluent bands or ridges.

The only species in the genus known to occur in KwaZulu-Natal; it is also found in Mpumalanga and extending its distribution into Swaziland and possibly Mozambique. This species has become rare in its natural habitat because of over-collection for traditional purposes. Several varieties are recognised: var. arcana, var. gigantea, var. glaucophylla and var. ubomboensis.

Haworthiopsis tessellata (Haw.) G.D.Rowley (= Haworthia tessellata Haw.)

The species is best suited to containers; it has a highly stoloniferous habit and produce many plantlets to eventually form a dense mat of compact rosettes. The starry rosettes (20–80 mm in diameter) have spreading to recurved leaves, with lines and reticulations, that are windowed on the upper surface.

This species is widespread and is known from the drier interior of South Africa where it is found in the Western Cape, Eastern Cape, Northern Cape, Free State and North-West Provinces. The distribution of this species also extends into Namibia. The var. crousii is similar in appearance to the typical variety, although much more robust and less proliferous.

Aloiampelos ciliaris (Haw.) Klopper & Gideon F.Sm. var. ciliaris (= Aloe ciliaris var. ciliaris)

This tangled, climbing shrub has sheathing leaf bases that are collar-like, ciliate (with a fringe of hairs) and auriculate (ear-lobe-shaped). The green leaves are spreading to recurved. Racemes are short, broadly cylindrical and densely flowered. The bright red, cylindrical to slightly curved flowers are ± 30 mm long with pedicels (flower stalks) that can reach a length of 5–8 mm and are present throughout the year. This plant climbs through bushes, shrubs, and trees in bushland, wooded ravines and thickets of the coastal belt, and is always found near the sea in frost free areas. It only occurs in a narrow coastal strip from near Humansdorp to north of the Kei River Mouth, Eastern Cape, South Africa.

Aloiampelos ciliaris var. tidmarshii (Schonland) Klopper & Gideon F.Sm. (= Aloe ciliaris var. tidmarshii)

A tangled, climbing shrub, where the sheathing portion of the leaf base is only very slightly auriculate (ear-lobe-shaped) and the margin very minutely ciliate (with a fringe of hairs). This variety of A. ciliaris is in all aspects smaller than the typical variety of the species. Racemes are sublaxly flowered and more narrowly cylindrical than those of var. ciliata. The red flowers (16–23 mm long) and pedicels (flower stalks) (4–6 mm long), are also shorter, and present from November to April. This variety grows on stony, clayey soils in relatively dense savanna woodland, at higher altitudes and further from the sea than A. ciliaris var. ciliaris. It is restricted to an inland strip of the Eastern Cape along the Zuurberg range, South Africa, and is endemic to the Albany Centre of Endemism.

Aloiampelos decumbens (Reynolds) Klopper & Gideon F.Sm. (= Aloe decumbens)

This much-branched shrub has slender stems that are decumbent, but with the foliate portion held erect. The spreading leaves are bright green and faintly striate. The peduncle (inflorescence stalk) is slender (4–5 mm in diameter) bearing a sublaxly flowered cylindrical raceme. The red flowers are 28–33 mm long, cylindrical and slightly curved, with pedicels (flower stalks) of 4–5 mm long. Plants flower throughout the year, but flowering time is mostly between November and January. This species is considered to be Vulnerable (VU) and grows in South Langeberg Sandstone Fynbos on cliffs and steep north- and south-facing slopes, on sandstone of the Table Mountain Group. It is only known from the Langeberg (Riversdale region), Western Cape, South Africa.

Aloiampelos juddii (Van Jaarsv.) Klopper & Gideon F.Sm. (= Aloe juddii)

This branched shrub has erect to somewhat creeping, densely foliate branches of ascending (upward curving), green leaves. The peduncle (inflorescence stalk) is robust (8–9 mm diameter) and bears sublaxly flowered, cylindrical racemes. Flowers are orange-red, 40 mm long, cylindrical and slightly curved, with 10–12 mm long pedicels (flower stalks). Plants flower in November. This Endangered (EN) species grows on southeast-facing rocky slopes on sandstone of the Table Mountain Group, in Overberg Sandstone Fynbos vegetation. It is thus far only known from the Baardskeerdersbos region east of Gansbaai (Overberg coastal mountains), Western Cape, South Africa.

Aloiampelos striatula var. striatula (= Aloe straiatula var. striatula)

This rambling aloe is the most robust member of the genus Aloiampelos. The recurved, shiny, dark green leaves have leaf sheaths that are distinctly longitudinally green-lined. Racemes are cylindrical to cone-shaped and relatively densely flowered. Flowers are slightly curved, reddish orange, 40–45 mm long and clasp the peduncle (inflorescence stalk). Flowering occurs mostly between October and November. This aloe grows among rocks on mountain tops within the winter snow belt in one of the coldest parts of southern Africa. It is distributed in the higher areas of the eastern and northeastern parts of the Eastern Cape, South Africa, and in southern Lesotho, with a disjunct distribution in the southeastern Free State, South Africa and western Lesotho.