We grew this miniature ally of the A. lanceolata/A. telephiastrum/A. rufescens group from seed (self-fertile like many of this genus) labelled “sp. nov. miniature” from Jacques van Thiel, the late Dutch Anacampseros/Avonia specialist. It was subsequently described in his honor by Graham Williamson (Aloe 43:1:2006). It is immediately recognizable by its small size and clustering habit. The rosettes are only about 15 mm in diameter with retuse leaves (with flattened, papillose tips like a miniature Haworthia maraisii) that blush a rich chocolate-brown. The rosettes bear twisted, white, axillary hairs that increase in number during summer to help reflect intense sunlight. The flowers are satiny magenta and can be as large as individual rosettes (12 to 15 mm). The species grows easily outdoors in our shade house year-round. In nature it grows in cracks of exposed slabs of granite or in shallow sandy pans in which rainwater pools in winter. It endures near freezing temperatures in winter, while in summer the rocks can be too hot to touch. It is native to the Namaqualand region of the N. Cape of South Africa, S of Steinkopf, at ca. 900 m elevation. HBG 121658, $10.
Published in the Cactus and Succulent Journal, Vol. 88 (3), May-June, 2016