Haworthia Revisited – 41. Haworthia zantneriana

41. Haworthia zantneriana V.Poelln., Cactus J 5:35(1936).  V.Poelln., Feddes Repert.Spec.Nov. 41:217(1937).  V.Poelln., Desert.Pl.Life 9:90(1937). ibid. Feddes Repert.Spec.Nov. 44:228(1938).  Type: Cape, Groot River heights, N. Campherpoort, E. King 111.  Not preserved.  Lectotype (B&M): icon (B).

zantneriana: in honour of Major Zantner.

Rosette stemless, proliferous, 5-6cm φ.  Leaves 20-40, soft, glabrous, attenuate, spreading, pale-green, usually with pellucid white longitudinal marks on the leaves.  Inflorescence simple, slender, to 25cm.  Flowers white with green venation, sparse.

1982 – H. zantneriana is an unusual species with glabrous smooth leaves marked with pale longitudinal markings.  It is proliferous and can form fairly dense clumps.  It is usually found on well‑shaded south slopes but only in rock cracks and crevices.  The original locality is at Campherspoort near Klipplaat which appears to be at about the mid‑point in the east‑west distribution of the species.  There is an indication that the plants get smaller in either direction.  Where it occurs north of Willowmore, and also in the Baviaanskloof, there is a strong suggestion that H. zantneriana will be found to be continuous with H. divergens.  The plants get smaller with more erect unmarked leaves which are also distinctly and sharply keeled, and have marginal teeth.  Towards the east the margins tend to be haired.  However, further exploration is needed to determine where the end‑point is in this direction.

1999 – The type of this species is noted to be a collection King 111 from Groot River Heights.  There is a collection from further east in the Bolus Herbarium under King 111, but which is from Swanepoelspoort.  This specimen is presumed not to be the same as the original and is cited under the var. minor.  Not much more has been learned about this species and its affinities.  Possibly it continuous with H. gracilis var. viridis in the east and with H. marumiana var. viridis in the west.  The more probable affinity is with H. monticola and this is substantiated by two collections.  The first is a collection from the Witberg southeast of Willowmore which is nearer to H. monticola in that the leaves are slender, incurved at the tips, and mottled.  The texture is relatively soft for that species.  The second is from Trompetterspoort, just northeast of Willowmore where the plants really are intermediate between the two species both in appearance and geographically.  Note must be taken of the mountain chains along which the respective species are distributed, and along which they may be related.

a.var. zantneriana.
Fairly wide spread in the mountains north of the Little Karoo and often quite large, to 8cm tall.

Distribution: 3323 (Willowmore): S. Redcliffe (-BA), Bruyns 7047 (BOL); Wildsview (-BA), Vlok 1553 (NBG).  3324(Steytlerville): Campherspoort (‑AA), Smith 3595 (NBG), Bruyns 1628 (NBG), Fourcade 57 (NBG), Barker 5000 (NBG); Mt Stewart (-AB), Bruyns 1811 (NBG); Waaipoort (-AD), Bayer & Bruyns 6585 (NBG).

b.var. minor var.nov.  Type: CAPE-3323 (Willowmore): near Miller Station (-BB), Bayer 1702 (NBG, Holo.).

minor: small.

Small, to 5cm, without markings on the leaves.  (A var. zantneriana foliis parvioribus immaculatis differt).

The specimen Bruyns 7071 cited below from near Willowmore (Trompetterspoort) is intermediate between this species and H. monticola as mentioned earlier.

Distribution: 3323 (Willowmore): N. Redcliffe (-BA), Bruyns 7061 (BOL); Trompetterspoort (-BA), Bruyns 7071 (BOL); near Miller Station (-BB), Bayer 1702 (NBG); Bakenskop (-BB), Mitchell 354 (NBG).  Swanepoelspoort (-BB), King 111 (BOL).

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