Haworthia atrofusca is best known from the type locality Spitzkop a few km west of Riversdale. It is possible that the same species name can be applied to other plants that occur closer to Heidelberg while related plants are found at various localities in the Riversdale/Heidelberg area and even beyond. Haworthia enigma from north west of Riversdale seems to belong to the same group.
The whole group is characterised by their dark brown-red colour and although one could argue this to be only a polyphyletic relationship there may be other charateristics to give the group a stronger bond. Breuer (The genus Haworthia 2010) however includes both Haworthia atrofusca and Haworthia enigma under the aggregate Magnifica.
At the type locality the plants are mostly slightly smaller than plants from the Magnifica, group although this is not always the case. The leaf usually tapers more gradually than Haworthia magnifica and often ends with a rounded leaf tip. The leaf surface is shiny and rough.
In cultivation the plants are quite slow from seed, taking a good couple of years to reach maturity.
Photographs taken on a rainy day by Gerhard Marx.
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