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Order: Gentianales
Family: Apocynaceae
Subfamily: Asclepiadoideae
Tribe: Stapeliae
Genus: Stapelia The genus Stapelia consists of low growing, spineless, stem succulent plants, predominantly from South Africa. Their flowers of certain species, most notably Stapelia gigantea, can reach 41 cm (16 inches) in diameter when fully open. Most Stapelia flowers are visibly hairy and generate the odour of rotten flesh, a notable exception is the sweetly scented Stapelia flavopurpurea. They frequently lay eggs around the coronae of Stapelia flowers, convinced by the plants' deception. Their hairy, oddly textured and coloured appearance of many Stapelia flowers has been claimed to resemble that of rotting meat, this, coupled with their odour, has earned the most commonly grown members of the Stapelia genus the common name of "carrion flowers". A handful of species are commonly cultivated as pot plants and are even used as rockery plants in countries where the climate permits. |
