Haworthia agnis L. Battista. Mini article by Gerhard Marx.
Haworthia agnis forms a peculiar and puzzling ‘bridge’ between Haworthia globosiflora and Haworthia nortieri. The plants look closer in appearance to Haworthia globosiflora while its flowers are not the short globose kind and its distribution is within the same area as that of Haworthia nortieri. Despite general similar appearance to Haworthia globosiflora, the leaves of Haworthia agnis have quite large and prominent pellucid white teeth densely arranged on the upper half to third of the leaves. The leaves are also shorter and with less narrowly pointed tips. The flowers are not short and globose but also not the soft and narrow tubed type as found in Haworthia nortieri. The inner perianth lobes of Haworthia nortieri are generally yellow in colour while those of Haworthia agnis are white with a brown-green mid-vein.
Luigi Battista has also done some detailed seed comparisons between Haworthia agnis, Haworthia globosiflora and Haworthia nortieri and found clear and consistent differences.
In general the winter-growing Haworthia agnis is slightly easier to maintain in cultivation than Haworthia globosiflora and seems more tolerant of summer humidity.
Haworthia agnis is known from a few small scattered populations in the general area north and north-east of Vanrhynsdorp but south of Garies.
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