All you wanted to know about Haworthias, Gasterias and Astrolobas: Astroloba tenax var. moltenoi

Astroloba tenax var. moltenoi , N of Prince Albert, photo by Steven Molteno

Astroloba tenax var. moltenoi van Jaarsv. & Gideon F.Sm.
by Steven Molteno and Jakub Jilemicky

moltenoi: aftern Steven Molteno

A. tenax var. moltenoi is peculiar population which occurs far to the east near Prince Albert. It is known from one small area near the town. Nearby are growing A. robusta and A. herrei, but this plant is clearly different. Plants here attain enormous sizes, with shiny leaf surfaces and varied combinations of tubercles and striations.

Distribution map

A. tenax var. moltenoi seems to be connected through intermediate pentagona populations near Gamkapoort Dam to the main pentagona populations further West. It is noticeably connected to them, due to the marginated keels (present in pentagona and all its closest relatives to the far West, such as bullulata and cremnophila), the striations, and the tall inflorescences with tiny tubular flowers. The flowers also appear in summer, at the same time as those of pentagona. However it is also impressively different.