Haworthia mirabilis var. badia

Haworthia mirabilis var. badia is a stemless leaf succulent. The plant grows small, thick-leaved rosettes that do not clump through stolon offsets in the first few years, but may do so slowly later.

The leaves ascend up to the horizontal parts of their inner surfaces, triangular with attenuating tips. The brown or bronze colour is enhanced by sunlight. The upper surface is translucent, the margins smooth to slightly rough.

The slender inflorescence is a simple raceme of 25 cm in height, bearing about 17 spirally arranged flowers of which only two are open at the same time. The two-lipped flowers are white, the segment tips recurving. Segment keels are green-brown. Flowering happens early in spring.

The distribution of this variety is around Napier in the Western Cape where it grows in a fynbos habitat of clay or sandstone soils among pebbles or in grass. The rain falls in winter, these plants growing in winter and spring.

The status of the habitat population of the variety is unknown early in the twenty first century. The plant morphs into other species in the range from Caledon to Bredasdorp (Scott,1985; http://llifle.com; http://redlist.sanbi.org).