Origin and Habitat: South Africa (Eastern cape, East of Little Karoo)
Habitat: Haworthia springbokvlakensisSN|13386]]SN|13386]] is a contracted and reduced succulent that grow embedded on shallow soil and in rock crevices scattered on a small hill in the dry interior West Cape around Oudtshoorn where the population density was never very high. In this area the rain is scant but can occur in winter or summer. They grows almost buried with only the upper retuse face of the leaves visible, on a firm hard gravely soil with pH 6,8 in the protection of shrubs often in deep shade and covered with dust.

• Haworthia springbokvlakensis C.L.Scott
• Haworthia retusa var. springbokvlakensis (C.L.Scott) Halda

Description: Haworthia springbokvlakensisSN|13386]]SN|13386]] is a tiny perennial- succulent with retuse leaves almost flat to the ground.
Stem: Stemless.
Rosettes: This species is very slow growing and forms a solitary few-leaved rosette 7 to 10 cm in diameter, each rosette has only 8 to 12 leaves.
Leaves: 3,5-6 cm long and about 1,5 cm large, retuse, turgid grey-green to greyish-pink with translucent "windows" ornamented with characteristic fine purple-brown pattern of (usually) not-branched striations on the terminal part. They are more or less smooth with very small tubercles the same colour of the leaf. Minute teeth are found on the margin.
Flowers: Flowers are borne on a slender inflorescence up to 25 cm tall, they are whitish, the petals have a darker brown mid-line.

Notes: Fenestrate growth habit is a life strategy that allows a number of South African succulents, including Bulbine mesembryanthemoidesSN|22628]]SN|22628]], and several Opthalmophyllum, Lithops and Haworthia species, to escape the killing heat of the desert. They all live almost entirely subterranean and have evolved special fenestrate (windowed) leaves that grow below the surface of the soil. This succulent leaves have a nearly transparent flat apex exposed to the atmosphere and are even at the soil level. This permit the plants to minimize the heating effects of high light intensity and to reduce the drying effects of desert air during prolonged drought. There are no stomata in the windows, so little water is lost, these plants remain subterranean because they have contractile roots which continually pull the plants deeper into the ground as the stem elongates. The disadvantage, however, is the limited amount of leaf surface area exposed to the sun for photosynthesis to supply food for the plant but the translucent window in the top surface, however, the fenestration allow sunlight to be captured and utilized even when the plant are retracted below the surface of the soil. This is an interesting evolutionary adaptation to overcome this light problem; their leaves are a simple optical system that permits light striking the windows to be diffused onto the green, photosynthesizing surface situated underground. So, with a minimum of exposure to the outside environment, a maximum area of photosynthetic tissue is ensured.

Bibliography: Major references and further lectures
1) Doreen Court “Succulent Flora of Southern Africa” CRC Press, 01/Jun/2000
2) Urs Eggli “Illustrated Handbook of Succulent Plants: Monocotyledons” Springer, 2001
3) Charles L. Scott “The genus Haworthia (Liliaceae): a taxonomic revision” Aloe Books, 1985
4) Stuart Max Walters “The European Garden Flora: Pteridophyta, Gymbospermae, Angiospermae-Monocotyledons” Cambridge University Press, 1984
5) M. B. Bayer “The new Haworthia handbook” National Botanic Gardens of South Africa, 1982
6) John Pilbeam “Haworthia and Astroloba: A Collector's Guide” B. T. Batsford Limited, 1983
7) Bruce Bayer “Haworthia revisited: a revision of the genus” Umdaus Press, 1999
8) Ernst Van Jaarsveld, Ben-Erik Van Wyk, Gideon Smith “Succulents of South Africa: A Guide to the Regional Diversity” Tafelberg Publishers, Limited, 01/Jul/2000
9) R. M. Cowling, D. M. Richardson, S. M. Pierce "Vegetation of Southern Africa" Cambridge University Press, 01/Apr/2004
10) Germishuizen, G. & Meyer, N.L. (eds.). “Plants of Southern Africa: an annotated checklist” Strelitzia 14.: i-vi, 1-1231. National Botanical Institute, Pretoria. 2003

Cultivation and Propagation: This is one of the choicest but slow growing of the retuse-leaved haworthias.
Watering needs: Need regular water but do not water again until dry. Also, it is a species that is dormant in the winter and require very little water (maybe even none) during the cold months.
Frost Tolerance: Light frost protection required. Minimum of 5ºC for safe growing (but hardy up to -5°C or less.)
Sun Exposure: Some shade is also in order, as the plants grows typically under the protection of bushes. Can be sunburned if moved from shade/greenhouse into full sun too quickly. The amount of sunlight it can withstand without scorching depends upon the how hot it becomes in the summer in the locale in which it is planted. It will have more colour if it receives more light. During the spring it may be able to take some sun until the heat arrives at the end of spring. In an area that has hot afternoon sun, it may be able to take full morning sun, but requires afternoon shade or afternoon light shade.
Propagation: Usually by seeds or offsets that occasionally appear at the base between the leaves; leave them attached until they are 1/3 the size of the parent and then detach and plant.