''Tulista'' is a small genus of succulent plants endemic to the

Cape Provinces The Cape Provinces of South Africa is a biogeographical area used in the World Geographical Scheme for Recording Plant Distributions (WGSRPD). It is part of the WGSRPD region 27 Southern Africa. The area has the code "CPP". It includes the Sou ...

South Africa South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the Southern Africa, southernmost country in Africa. Its Provinces of South Africa, nine provinces are bounded to the south by of coastline that stretches along the Atlantic O ...

. They were formerly included within the genus ''

Haworthia ''Haworthia'' is a large genus of small succulent plants endemic to Southern Africa (Mozambique, Namibia, Lesotho, Eswatini and South Africa). Like aloes and gasteria they are members of the Family (biology), subfamily Asphodeloideae and they ...

''.

Characteristics

The genus is characterised by a large size (relative to other haworthias), by their stemless rosette growth form, by the yellow exudate in their non-fibrous leaves, and by their distinctive flowers with robust peduncles.

Taxonomy

The genus ''

'' was long considered problematic, and suspected of being polyphyletic. It was accordingly divided into three different subgenera: ''Haworthia'' (the soft, green, leafy, and often retuse species); ''Hexangulares'' (the harder, often tubercled species); ''Robustipedunculares'' (the four largest, most robust species). Several phylogenetic studies have confirmed this division, and shown that ''

'' actually comprises three

clade In biology, a clade (), also known as a Monophyly, monophyletic group or natural group, is a group of organisms that is composed of a common ancestor and all of its descendants. Clades are the fundamental unit of cladistics, a modern approach t ...

s that are only distantly related. Based on phylogenetic evidence, in 2013,

Gordon Rowley Gordon Douglas Rowley (31 July 1921 – 11 August 2019) was a British botanist and writer specialising in cacti and succulents. Personal life Rowley was born on 31 July 1921 in London, UK to Cecil and Florence Gladys (née Goldsworthy) Rowley. ...

revived the genus ''Tulista'', first erected by

Constantine Samuel Rafinesque Constantine Samuel Rafinesque-Schmaltz (; 22 October 178318 September 1840) was a French early 19th-century polymath born near Constantinople in the Ottoman Empire and self-educated in France. He traveled as a young man in the United States, ult ...

in 1840, but long consigned to synonymy with ''Haworthia''. However, Rowley adopted a very broad concept of ''Tulista'', in which as well as ''Haworthia'' subgenus ''Robustipedunculares'', the genus included ''

Astroloba ''Astroloba'' is a genus of flowering plants in the family (biology), family Asphodelaceae, subfamily Asphodeloideae,Stevens, P.F. (2001 onwards)"Asphodeloideae" ''Angiosperm Phylogeny Website'', retrieved 2016-06-10 native to the Cape Province ...

'' and ''Aloe aristata'' (now '' Aristaloe aristata''), among other taxa. Later in 2013, this broad concept was rejected by Manning et al. later, and ''Tulista'' re-circumscribed to consist of four species, a decision supported by Gildenhuys and Klopper in 2016. Rowley has subsequently defended his original approach to the genus, though it is no longer widely accepted. The same phylogenetic studies suggested that the closest relatives of ''Tulista'' were the genera ''

'' and ''

Gonialoe ''Gonialoe'' (the partridge aloes) is a small genus of three succulent plant species—''Gonialoe dinteri, Gonialoe sladeniana and Gonialoe variegata''—Endemism, endemic to coastal South Africa, Namibia and Angola. They were formerly included w ...

''.

Species

In 2014, Manning et al. recognized four species in the genus ''Tulista'', all accepted by

Plants of the World Online Plants of the World Online (POWO) is an online taxonomic database published by the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. History Following the Convention on Biological Diversity, the Royal Botanic Gardens in Kew launched Plants of the World Online i ...

. All four species are highly variable, each with many different forms. Tulista kingiana in cultivation - Cape Town

Tulista minima - haworthia minima in cultivation 4

1 Haworthia maxima in habitat - Worcester South Africa

*''

Tulista kingiana ''Tulista kingiana'' is a species of succulent plant, from the Western Cape, South Africa. It is listed as Endangered species, Endangered on the IUCN Red List, IUCN global Red List. It was formerly classed in the genus ''Haworthia'', as ''Hawort ...

'' (Poelln.) Gideon F.Sm. & Molteno ::Previously known as ''Haworthia kingiana'', it is the rarest and furthest east of the four species. It occurs in the vicinity of Mossel Bay. It has a yellow-green colour, smooth glossy tubercles, and it sometimes has margins and keels. There are compact rounded forms, and thin elongated forms. Some populations also offset. *'' Tulista marginata'' (Lam.) G.D.Rowley ::Previously known as ''Haworthia marginata'', this species occurs from the range of ''T. pumila'' eastwards, as far as Riversdale. The second largest species, it has fewer or no tubercles and it usually has clear margins and a keel on its leaves. It is also extremely variable in its forms and it is highly prized as an ornamental. It does not usually offset. *'' Tulista minor'' (Aiton) Gideon F.Sm. & Molteno ::Previously known as ''Haworthia minima'' or ''Haworthia minor'', this species occurs to the south of the range of ''T. marginata''. Here it tends to occur in

renosterveld Renosterveld is a term used for one of the major plant communities and vegetation types of the Cape Floristic Region (Cape Floral Kingdom) which is located in southwestern and southeastern South Africa, in southernmost Africa. It is an ecoregion ...

vegetation, often near the coast. It is very densely covered with tubercles and it usually has a blue-green colour. There are compact rounded forms, and thin elongated forms. Some populations offset. *''

Tulista pumila ''Tulista pumila'' ("Vratjiesaalwee") is a species of ''Tulista'' succulent plant, from the Western Cape, South Africa. It was formerly placed in the genus ''Haworthia'', as ''Haworthia pumila'' or ''Haworthia maxima''. Description It is an eve ...

'' (L.) G.D.Rowley ::Previously known as ''Haworthia pumila/maxima/margaritifera'', this is the far western species, occurring in the

Robertson Karoo Robertson Karoo is a semi-arid vegetation type, restricted to sections of the Breede River Valley, Western Cape Province, South Africa. It is a subtype of Karoo, Succulent Karoo (geographically an extension of the "Little Karoo") and is characteri ...

vegetation in the

Western Cape The Western Cape ( ; , ) is a provinces of South Africa, province of South Africa, situated on the south-western coast of the country. It is the List of South African provinces by area, fourth largest of the nine provinces with an area of , an ...

. It is the largest species. It usually has a darker colour and raised tubercles on its leaves. It does not usually offset.

Gallery

Some of the many varieties of the four species in this genus: File:Haworthia maxima in cultivation.jpg, ''T. pumila'' File:Haworthia Maxima (6890633155).jpg, ''T. pumila'' File:Z Sparsa hawortha pumila 4.jpg, ''T. pumila'' File:Haworthia marginata - Tulista Heidelberg RSA 99.jpg, ''T. marginata'' File:Tulista marginata - drew variety in cultivation 5.jpg, ''T. marginata'' File:Haworthia marginata Tulista in habitat - Western Cape Acilliers 5.jpg, ''T. marginata'' File:Haworthia minima MBB 3.jpg, ''T. minor'' File:Tulista minima - brandrivier opalina form 2.jpg, ''T. minor'' File:Haworthia minima MBB 7.jpg, ''T. minor'' File:Tulista kingiana 4 - compact form.jpg, ''T. kingiana'' File:Tulista kingiana at Moerasrivier after fire 1.jpg, ''T. kingiana'' File:Tulista kingiana 1 - compact form.jpg, ''T. kingiana''

References

External links

{{Taxonbar, from=Q20720103 Endemic flora of the Cape Provinces Renosterveld Asphodelaceae genera Taxa named by Constantine Samuel Rafinesque