Even living in South Africa and frequently moving about in the countryside, it is very difficult to appreciate the magnitude of the task of trying to understand Haworthia. The scale and the extent of the problem is only appreciated after many many footsore miles. The terrain where the plants grow is invariably rocky and steep, the rocks and soil loose underfoot and access often denied by fences and general inaccessibility. A false sense of understanding is given by those populations which can be seen from the window of a car – and despite the small size of the plants, there are many populations which are that easy to find.
However, the problem is in trying to establish similarities and differences between different populations – in trying to find something which might not be there. Populations can be so small and restricted, or the plants so cryptic, that it can often only be claimed of an area that no plants were found. And not that nothing is present there.
The following pictures are to give some indication of what the countryside is like where these intriguing plants grow and to indicate that there is still a lifetime of exploration which can be done. Hopefully this will be done by some one who has a sense of the natural order of things and an appreciation and respect for the desirability of leaving things that way.
Habitat at Buitenstekloof7995 Habitat looking northwardsKG36-70 habitat viewed from the west.View up stream from 2420 habitat6631 Habitat.16631 Habitat.2Habitat H. floribunda. Plaatjieskop.Habitat H. retisa. Plaatjieskop JDV 0711Fig. 8a. Habitat of H. elizeae. Stormsvlei.Fig. 8. Habitat of H. elizeae. Stormsvlei.Fig. 2. A photograph of the habitat of MBB7899.13.21 View overlooking habitat 7496.Fig. 131 – 7953 N Klipbankskloof westward view of habitatLooking to the previous habitat of larger quartz rockView further into BuitenstekloofOuhoekberg view to south.Ouhoekberg view to southeast.Ouhoekberg view to east.Ouhoekberg view to north.view Hammnsberg to the southeastview from Hammansberg northwardsview from Hammansberg eastwardsVan Reenens CrestView 4 looking northeast from within hiking trailView 3 looking northeast from within hiking trailView 2 looking northeast from within hiking trailView 1 over Greyton from the northeast8045 view looking west of northView from Brakkloof looking east.8048 view looking northView looking east of north7821 habitat viewed from the west.View westwards to the KanetvleiFig. 49 View from locality MBB7917 to that of MBB 7919.Fig. 2 View from locality MBB7914 to Heuningklip.Fig. 1 View of locality MBB7914.Fig. 23.10 7075 View across site. Grootvlakte7075 View of site at GrootvlakteFig. 23 7938 SE Stoffelsrivier View looking east to SandhoogteView looking eastFig. 14.14 7497 View looking north.13.22 View looking west to north of Kleinberg.Fig. 6.3 7928 View looking southwest with Kleinberg off to the right.Fig. 6.2 7928 View looking east to 7927Fig. 80 7945 View lookin across depression to west facing slope7945 View lookin across depression to west facing slopeFig. 54 7943 View west to farmhouseFig. 45 7941 View east to Die KopFig. 44 7941 View west to HaarwegskloofFig. 145 View looking northwest to RiviersonderendFig. 130 – 7953 Klipbankskloof West 3 View westwardsFig.100 View looking south to Potberg.Fig. 52 MBB7958 View to MBB7957 a. Daphne inspecting, Lawrence checking the GPS.Fig. 35 View looking south to Tradouw PassFig. 12 View looking east to Set 1.Viewing site from the northMBB7266 SE Lemoenpoort, view to southwest13. A view from south Dwarsindieweg.4c. View northwards from Bakoven7. View south to Villiersdorp1c. View looking west from north Muiskraal1b. View looking south west over Muiskraal to Garcia Pass1a.View from above Onverwacht North Westward to LadismithView taken looking eastwards from Kleindoorn (Kleindoornrivier)View from the upper slopes of the Zuurberg at Wilgerfontein, with Darlington Dam just visible in the distance.03 . View west of south from Sandberg.View 2 From Cilmor eastwards.View 1 From Cilmor to the northeast.Fig. 4 View to the northwest across the flood plain.Fig. 3 View northwest from a central position.Fig. 1 An overview of the Kruis River Valley.Fig. 14 The typical ‘pressure burst’ of white kaolinic soil from under more solid ferricrete where H. retusa and H. mirabilis are commonly found.Fig. 91 The ‘white clay pressure burst’Spitzkop at Riversdale. These flat-topped small peaks and larger tablelands are ferricrete caps often associated with clayish soils on the slopes. They are
often the home of Aloe ferox and A. arborescens. Sometimes there are grassy patches and pressure bursts of bare clay. H. magnifica and H. serrata occur in this kind of situation. However, these ferricrete sills are also north of the Langeberg mountains, where species like H. emelyae and H. bayeri may
occur.8053 looking at Rooivlei7821 looking northwardsLooking from Swartrug towards Riversdale.Looking from Morning Star to Kransrivermond 097This is a picture taken from a very late flowering population of H. maculata near Die Nekkies resort south of Worcester. Looking north to where H. maculata grows at about 4000ft on the Audenberg peak, and to the right at about 1000ft in the lower Hex River pass. That is where it occurs close to H. aff nortieri.Fig. 90 The countryside looking towards the Tradouw Pass.Fig. 1 A view looking north from Heuningklip to Tradouw. MBB6666 at arrow and MBB7899 at 6pt star – bFig. 3.7 Looking west to the KleinbergAlso looking SE towards Die Kop and PotbergLooking SE towards Die Kop and PotbergMBB7266 SE Lemoenpoort, looking up at locality.5. Looking north with M marking the location of Haworthia maculata, K – Karoo Garden4. Still further east looking west northwest2. Same spot looking east northeast1. Looking down the north face Die Nekkies east to west1e. Looking southwest to Garcia Pass from same spot as above1d. Looking eastwards over Muiskraal