Family:
Asclepiadaceae (Apocynaceae)
(Milkweeds family)
Scientific name: Stapelia gigantea
N.E. Br.
Origin: Southern Africa, Zambia
Synonym: Stapelia nobilis
Common names: Carrion Flower, Star Fish Flower, Giant Zulu,
Giant toad plant.
Description: S. gigantea is a
stem succulent that resembles a
cactus; the
branches are
velvety,
spineless,
quadrangular in
cross-section and
determinate, ceasing
growth when about 10 to 30 cm tall, may form big
clumps up to1 m in spread.
Blooming Time: October. The
inflorescence arises near the
base of a
branch; on this plant the inflorescence had two
buds with
scale-like leaves at the base of the
petioles. When this
flower opened., the second bud was
aborted. Flowers are extremely large, soft and
pulpy
to the touch,
star-shaped and give off a pestilent
smell that
attracts
flies that ensure the successful
pollination of this
species.
The flowers have a
leathery texture
mimic the rotting flesh of a dead animal
(like meat and fat rotting in the hot sun) and
vary from pale yellow to reddish brown with an elaborate
pattern of
dark reddish stripes. They remember drying flesh peeling back from
the bone and also fringes of soft white
hairs on the
corolla
segments superficially resemble a layer of mold growing on
rotting matter.
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