I have seen about 35 Zuurberg cooperoid populations in the vicinity of the Kaboegapoort, N Kirkwood. None of these are quite the same and reflect an interaction of at least 4 megaspecies (in this case decipiens, cymbiformis, cooperi, bolusii (blackbeardiana) and aristata. Please note – it is taking a conservative middle ground opinion to say they are discrete!!! This is MBB6940 and the variation in just one of the Kaboega populations. Do not let it be lost on you that it was (and more than probably is still the case) that a species was too often described from a single specimen. Think of Rafinesque. There is absolutely no way these things can be regarded as distinct species in their own right. I have seen too many of these local variants linked not to just geographical separation, but also to local habitat difference and usually geologically associated.

7870 and 7586 It will have some dinosaurs climbing the wall when I say the probability of these both being H. cooperi is 98%. Unfortunately it is TRUE. the bobii, paradoxa, joleneae, hammeri, groenewaldii issues are minor compared with this. Closed minds will struggle and someday taxonomic botany itself is going to have to face not having a proper species concept and definition. The Haworthia community would do well to properly acknowledge the fact that it has a problem.

Lawrence wrote … And the problem is these Zuurberg cooperoid need names?
Bruce relied … They sure do. The science of botany is not going to do it and we the people have to fix it. Trouble is we reduce the issue to personality disorders around the issue of Latin binomials instead of applying our energy to thinking communally of how to find a solution. ♦