Haworthia blackburniae

Haworthia blackburniae is a slow-growing perennial, its leaves not resembling the typical Haworthia rosulate or rosette-shaped foliage. The plants reach heights around 15 cm when bearing leaves only. It is tufted and short-stemmed, although a stem is often not seen. The roots are spindle-shaped, up to 12 mm thick.

The species distribution is mainly in the Little Karoo, in foothills of the Swartberg Mountains from Ladismith to De Rust, the Rooiberg and Gamka Mountains to the south, rarely immediately north of the Swartberge as well.

The habitat is exposed lower slopes, steep and rocky, where arid fynbos meets succulent Karoo on sandstone, quartzite or shale in well-drained soil. The species is considered near threatened in its habitat early in the twenty first century due to plant collection and invasion by alien grasses (Vlok and Schutte-Vlok, 2015; Scott, 1985; iNaturalist; http://redlist.sanbi.org).