Haworthia fraseri (Dr. M Hayashi) - Mini article by Gerhard Marx.
Haworthia fraseri is very closely related to Haworthia archeri and in an integrating species arrangement it may be considered to be a subspecies of the latter. Both are restricted to the Great Karoo area but their habitats are more than 100 km distant.
Haworthia fraseri is generally slightly larger in size than Haworthia archeri and flowers a month earlier. Both are somewhat difficult in cultivation, being slow growing and easily prone to rot. The summer-flowering habit also causes the thin flower peduncles to frequently wilt, a problem found in most summer-flowering Haworthias.
Like Haworthia archeri, Haworthia fraseri also inhabits very arid and rocky ridges, growing in the shade of the rocks or in the filtered shade of the sparse karoid bushes. It is always solitary growing and prefers the southern slopes of low hills. Haworthia fraseri grows very close to a form of Aloe (Tulista) aristata but with very few other succulents in close association.
Haworthia fraseri is known only from the Riethuisies area, ca. 20 km south-west of Fraserburg.
In the wild Haworthia fraseri appears to be greener than Haworthia archeri, but in cultivation they both have a dark colour.
|
