mirabilis or maraisii?

[Lindsey]

Just found this photo taken at Holly Gate Nursery before I had woken up to Haworthias. I can read a few letters on the label but I'm sure that someone can enlighten me, I don't understand the naming of retuse Haworthias Is there an obvious difference between these species that would help with ID?
[attachment 17157 DSCF0634.jpg]

[iann]

My observations suggest that H. mirabilis has a smooth top with clearer somewhat reticulated windows. H. maraisii has rough leaves, often to the point of being spiny, the windows obscured by the warts. Probably there are more important differences.

[Phil White]

Lindsey,
I would imagine that this is most likely to be H. mirabilis.
As for the term 'retuse' this is for Haworthias that are generally accepted as being from the section retusae.
HTH

[Lindsey]

Thanks, Ian and Phil! I had guessed at H.mirabilis.

I tend to use Bayer's "Haworthia Revisited" and as far as I'm aware he doesn't use a Section classification at all, so I'm confused with "Retusae"
Is this a problem with Bayer? Would I be better off looking elsewhere taxonomically, and if so, where?

[Phil White]

Lindsey,
I think you need to get Pilbeam's book. Until Bayers revison there were 3 books that were generally accepted by haworthia growers but all with differing opinions.
Pilbeam's is the easiest read and now somewhat dated because of Bayer's later revisions it is still the easiest to read (IMHO) and still a very good reference, from his Collector's guide :-

SECTION RETUSAE Haw.: upper leaf inflated to form more or less distinct end-area, tip somewhat transparent with green lines;

SUBSECTION Retusae leaf-tips recurved strongly, and/or end-area well defined-species:

H. comptoniana, H.emelyae, H. heidelbergensis, H.magnifica, H. mirabilis, H. mutica, H. pygmaea, H. retusa, H. springbokvlakensis;

SUBSECTION Turgidae subsect. nov: folia inflata, vix recurva, plerumque ad apicem extremum incurva; typus: H. turgida; leaves inflated, little recurving, usually incurving at the extreme tip; type: H. turgida;- species:

H. archeri. H. herbacea, H. maculata, H. nortieri, H. pubescens, H. reticulata, H. rycroftiana, H serrata, H turgida.

HTH & Happy Haworthia Growing.

[Lindsey]

Phil White Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Lindsey,
> I think you need to get Pilbeam's book

I have the First Fifty and Second Fifty Haworthias booklets, will that do? I didn't think to look there!:embar:

[lenbell]

Hi Lindsey

Phil means "Haworthia & Astroloba - A Collector's Guide", which is long out of print, but still findable at acceptable prices, unlike Haworthia Revisited, which you are very lucky to have. Tho behind the taxonomic times, Pilbeam's book is still very useful, as he knows how to communicate.

[Apicra]

An important rule for identifying those old "heritage" Haworthias which have been knocking around in cultivation for decades:

Don't believe the label!

The photo is a pretty normal H. retusa i.m.h.o.

Best wishes,
Derek Tribble,
Past HawSoc Chairman