Astroloba corrugata

Astroloba corrugata is a leaf succulent growing stems to 20 cm in length. This indoor specimen is not too concerned with height, its stems reclining languorously over those of its spikier, whitish neighbour.

Having an owned plant in cultivation provides the opportunity for greater intimacy and private knowledge. There is risk of misconceptions about some general features of the plant’s kind, habit and nature in the real world. The unique treatment of the favourite, the pet causes changes and weaknesses; a bit like being oblivious of one’s perfect children not quite reaching the norm at school or in society.

The slightly out-curved, stubby green leaf surfaces are rough with tiny knobs or tubercles grown in longitudinal rows. The specific name is corrugata after all. There are minute marginal leaf teeth present.

Creamy white, tubular flowers, small with grey-green lines along the petal centres appear late in spring and through summer. The slender inflorescence becomes about 30 cm tall.

The species is endemic to the Western Province between Worcester and Ladismith. The plants are often found in the shade of shrubs in karoid scrub-veld where guarri trees are sometimes seen. The species is not considered to be threatened in its habitat early in the twenty first century.

This species hybridises naturally with Tulista pumila, previously Haworthia maxima, another member of the Asphodelaceae family found in overlapping distribution range (Vlok and Schutte-Vlok, 2010; Wikipedia; www.redlist.sanbi.org).