All you wanted to know about Haworthias, Gasterias and Astrolobas: Haworthia mirabilis 'joleneae'

Haworthia joleneae, Stoffelsrivier, North, NEW PHOTO

Haworthia mirabilis 'joleneae' M.Hayashi

H. mirabilis 'joleneae' is species which belongs to the mirabilis group. It is characteristic by leave shape and color. In nature it has only 4-6 leaves and size is about 3-4 cm in diameter. In most cases these attractive plants grow burried in the ground or amongst small stones and grass, usually in open terrain. Joleneae remains solitairy.

At first Bayer used name H. mirabilis "nonpilosed pilosa", but he refused to descibe it as new species. M. Hayashi and Ingo Breuer in their new taxonomy use for this glabrous plant name H. joleneae. The hairy form was recently described as H. bobii.

Distribution map

H. mirabilis 'joleneae' grows W of Infanta on several localities along Breede River. I have observed plants on four localities, closer to Diepkloof, where it grows on gently slopes further on from the river. At Stoffelsrivier it grows very close to H. minima and H. variegata var. hemicrypta. We found there very interesting natural hybrids joleneae with hemicrypta.
H. mirabilis 'joleneae' is attractive mirabilis species. In cultivation it grows much bigger - I have seen plants 5-8 cm in diameter with numerous leaves, but it is quite slow. Propagation should be done by seeds or leave cuttings. Conditions for growing are similar to those of mirabilis or picta group.