Kingdom Plantae Clade Monocots Family Asphodelaceae Rank Species | Clade Angiosperms Order Asparagales Subfamily Asphodeloideae | |
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Similar Haworthia venosa, Haworthia limifolia, Haworthia reinwardtii, Haworthia retusa, Haworthia cymbiformis | ||
Haworthia tessellata is a species of the genus Haworthia belonging to the family Xanthorrhoeaceae. It is often considered a subspecies of its close relative, Haworthia venosa.
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Etymology
The genus name Haworthia honors the British botanist Adrian Hardy Haworth (1767–1833), while the species Latin name “tessellata” means "square-patterned”.
Description
Haworthia tessellata is a succulent evergreen slow-growing species reaching a size of 15 cm in height. It is a stemless plant, with square patterned leaves on the upper surfaces and small teeth along the margins. The leaves are greenish, form a rosette and turn to reddish in full sun. The flowers are white and small, in an inflorescence.
It is extremely closely related to Haworthia granulata (restricted to the far south-west of its range near Laingsburg) and to Haworthia venosa (a species restricted to a spot on the south coast of South Africa).
Distribution & habitat
This widespread species can be found in the arid hinterland of South Africa. Its habitat is the dry, summer-rainfall Karoo, where it grows within bushes and in rocky areas. It occurs as far north as southern Namibia.
