About Haworthia arachnoidea (L.) Duval
Haworthia arachnoidea (L.) Duval forms a dense rosette made up of numerous dark green leaves, all covered in translucent bristles. Unlike many other Haworthia species, the leaves of this species do not have translucent tips. During arid summers, its rosettes dry out and contract. This species is sometimes mistaken for the more widespread Haworthia decipiens, which grows in the Great Karoo to the east. Haworthia decipiens can be distinguished by its shorter, flatter, wider leaves; its lighter leaf colour; the presence of translucent leaf tips; its larger, sparser bristles that occur primarily only on leaf margins; and its very weak leaf keel. The most well-known form of this species, Haworthia arachnoidea var. arachnoidea, is native to the Breede River valley in the regions of Worcester and Robertson. Other varieties of the same species are distributed further north into Namaqualand (var. namaquensis), and eastwards as far as Port Elizabeth (vars. xiphiophylla, aranea and setata). The species grows across a wide range of habitats, most commonly in shelter provided by protective rocks and shading plants. It is a widespread, extremely variable species with no single typical form. A range of intermediate forms exist between this species and its neighbouring species. Transition zone intermediates occur between this species and Haworthia decipiens to the east, as well as between this species and Haworthia mucronata to the south-east. Many of these intermediates are classified as the variety Haworthia arachnoidea var. nigricans. To the north, Haworthia arachnoidea connects to its relative Haworthia nortieri.
