Haworthiopsis nigra

H. nigra, Buffelsfontein

Haworthiopsis nigra (Haw.) Baker

nigra: black

H. nigra  is smaller plant, with short stem up to 5cm. The color may vary from very dark green and almost black, to light grey. In nature are leaves usually covered with soil. The leaves may be recurved and elongated away from the stem, or short and compressed upon one another. The plants may have very long elongated stems or be reduced to almost stemless. Plants can be multifarious, but usually they are in 3-tiered arrangement. It is a proliferous or stoloniferous species. H. nigra was first described as an Astroloba (Apicra).

The distribution area is from near East London in the South East to north Loeriesfontein in the North West. in the West it is replaced with more robust and compact form, descibed as var. diversifolia. Form from Fish River area are easily distinguished by more long, erect leaves with not so "compact" rosette, Breuer & Hayashi descibed this form as 'eonigra'.  There is old name 'elongata', which recently Bayer and Breuer had used for plants from Bulkraal, near Slagtersnek - but sofar I haven´t seen any material from nature to confirm, they are different from normal forms.

Distribution map

When successfully grown, it can be a very nice species. H. nigra belongs to one of my favorite plants. It is not a difficult plant and can be easily propagated from stolons or offsets.

H. nigra, Kruidfontein, NEW PHOTO

H. nigra, Kruidfontein, NEW PHOTO

H. nigra, Kruidfontein, NEW PHOTO

H. nigra, Kruidfontein, NEW PHOTO

Locality of H. nigra, Kruidfontein, NEW PHOTO

H. nigra, S. Kommadagga, NEW PHOTO

H. nigra, S. Kommadagga, NEW PHOTO

H. nigra, S. Kommadagga, NEW PHOTO

H. nigra, S. Kommadagga, NEW PHOTO

Locality of H. nigra, S. Kommadagga, NEW PHOTO

H. nigra, Weldon, NEW PHOTO

H. nigra, Weldon, NEW PHOTO

H. nigra, Weldon, NEW PHOTO

H. nigra, Weldon, NEW PHOTO

Locality of H. nigra, Weldon, NEW PHOTO

H. nigra, Deeside, NEW PHOTO

H. nigra, Deeside, NEW PHOTO

H. nigra, Deeside, NEW PHOTO

H. nigra, Deeside, NEW PHOTO

Locality of H. nigra, Deeside, NEW PHOTO

H. nigra, Oxkraal Dam, NEW PHOTO

H. nigra, Oxkraal Dam, NEW PHOTO

H. nigra, Oxkraal Dam, NEW PHOTO

H. nigra, Oxkraal Dam, NEW PHOTO

Locality of H. nigra, Oxkraal Dam, NEW PHOTO

H. nigra, Waterdawn Dam, NEW PHOTO

H. nigra, Waterdawn Dam, NEW PHOTO

H. nigra, Waterdawn Dam, NEW PHOTO

H. nigra, Waterdawn Dam, NEW PHOTO

Locality of H. nigra, Waterdawn Dam, NEW PHOTO

H. nigra, Altona, NEW PHOTO

H. nigra, Altona, NEW PHOTO

H. nigra, Altona, NEW PHOTO

H. nigra, Altona, NEW PHOTO

Locality of H. nigra, Altona, NEW PHOTO

H. nigra, N of Rietfontein

H. nigra, N of Rietfontein

Locality of H. nigra, N of Rietfontein

H. nigra 'eonigra', Committees Drift

H. nigra 'eonigra', Committees Drift

H. nigra 'eonigra', Committees Drift

Locality of H. nigra 'eonigra', Committees Drift

H. nigra, Paddafontein

H. nigra, Paddafontein

H. nigra, Paddafontein

Locality of H. nigra, Paddafontein

H. nigra, Buffelsfontein

H. nigra, Buffelsfontein

Locality of H. nigra, Buffelsfontein

H. nigra, Boschhoek

H. nigra, Boschhoek

H. nigra, Boschhoek

Locality of H. nigra, Boschhoek

H. nigra, Sandpoort

H. nigra, Sandpoort

H. nigra, Sandpoort

Locality of H. nigra, Sandpoort

H. nigra, E. Solitree

H. nigra, E. Solitree

H. nigra, E. Solitree

Locality of H. nigra, E. Solitree

H. nigra, Goliatskraalkop

H. nigra, Goliatskraalkop

H. nigra, Goliatskraalkop

Locality of H. nigra, Goliatskraalkop

Synonyms :

Apicra nigra, H. schmidtiana, H. nigra var. schmidtiana, H. schmidtiana var. angustata, H. nigra var. angustata, H. schmidtiana var. suberecta, H. nigra var. elongata, H. schmidtiana var. elongata, H. nigra var. suberecta, H. schmidtiana var. pusilla, H. nigra var. pusilla, H. ryneveldii

Known localities:

• Krugerskraal (3124CD)
• Thebus (3125BC)
• NW. Cradock (3125CD)
• Goedemoed (3126CA)
• Tarkastad (3126CD)
• SW. Queenstown (3126DC)
• Bowkers Kop (3126DD)
• Finchams Nek (3126DD)
• Cofimvaba (3127CD)
• 25 km S. Aberdeen (3223DB)
• St. Olives (3224AB)
• Riverdale (3224BA)
• Goliadskraal (3224BA)
• Tandjiesberg (3224BC)
• Marais Siding (3224CB)
• Stoepie Stn. (3224CD)
• 26 km SW. Pearston (3224DB)
• Lake Mentz (3225AA)
• Rooiplant (3225AB)
• Swagershoeg (3225AD)
• Halesowen (3225BB)
• Mortimer (3225BC)
• Waterdawn Dam (3225BD)
• E. Cookhouse (3225DB)
• 3 km E. Cookhouse (3225DB)
• Eastpoort (3225DB)
• Slagtersnek (3225DB)
• Bedford (3226AC)
• Adelaide (3226CB)
• Middeldrift (3226DD)
• N. Waku (3227AA)
• Waku (3227AA)
• NW. Cathcart (3227AA)
• Tylden (3227AA)
• Goshen (3227AC)
• Tsomo (3227BB)
• Sleutelfontein (3322AB)
• Campherspoort (3324AA)
• E. Twowaters (3324BC)
• Kleinpoort (3324BD)
• Hetherton Tower (3326)
• The Fort (3326BA)
• Fort Brown (3326BA)
• N. Trumpeters Drift (3326BA)
• Committees (3326BB)
• E. Hunts Drift (3327AC)
• E. Steytlerville
• 20 km SW. Cradock (3225BC)
• N. Rietfontein (3324AD)
• E. Jansenville (3224DC)
• E. Whitlesea (3226BB)
• Andriesberg
• Boschoek (3325BB)
• Compassberg (3124DD)
• Deeside (3226BA)
• Dordrecht (3127AC)
• Fish River (3327AC)
• Glenmore (3326BB)
• Grassridge Dam (3125CD)
• Hackney Dam
• Hopewell
• N. Wagu (3227AA)
• N. Queenstown (3126DD)
• near Vaalkrans (3225DC)
• Niew Bethesda (3124DC)
• Oxkraal Dam (3226BB)
• Paddafontein (3325AB)
• Renosterfontein (3325BA)
• Goliatskraalkop (3224BA)
• near Solitree (3323BA)
• Stoney Croft (3127CA)
• Helpmekaar (3225BC)
• Buffelshoek (3326AA)
• Sandpoort (3324BD)
• W. Krantzdrift Farm (3326AB)
• Altona (3225DD)
• S. Kommadagga (3325BB)
• Weldon (3226BB)