''Orbea variegata'', also known as the star flower, carrion flower, starfish cactus and toad cactus, is a

species A species () is often defined as the largest group of organisms in which any two individuals of the appropriate sexes or mating types can produce fertile offspring, typically by sexual reproduction. It is the basic unit of Taxonomy (biology), ...

flowering plant Flowering plants are plants that bear flowers and fruits, and form the clade Angiospermae (). The term angiosperm is derived from the Ancient Greek, Greek words (; 'container, vessel') and (; 'seed'), meaning that the seeds are enclosed with ...

in the family

Apocynaceae Apocynaceae (, from '' Apocynum'', Greek for "dog-away") is a family of flowering plants that includes trees, shrubs, herbs, stem succulents, and vines, commonly known as the dogbane family, because some taxa were used as dog poison. Notable mem ...

that is native to the coastal belt of 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 ...

, South Africa, growing actively during the winter rainfall season. It is an

invasive species An invasive species is an introduced species that harms its new environment. Invasive species adversely affect habitats and bioregions, causing ecological, environmental, and/or economic damage. The term can also be used for native spec ...

in southern

Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country comprising mainland Australia, the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania and list of islands of Australia, numerous smaller isl ...

Description

Growing to tall by broad, it is a leafless

succulent In botany, succulent plants, also known as succulents, are plants with parts that are thickened, fleshy, and engorged, usually to retain water in arid climates or soil conditions. The word ''succulent'' comes from the Latin word ''sucus'', meani ...

perennial In horticulture, the term perennial ('' per-'' + '' -ennial'', "through the year") is used to differentiate a plant from shorter-lived annuals and biennials. It has thus been defined as a plant that lives more than 2 years. The term is also ...

with cactus-like toothed stems, and highly variable, star-shaped, off-white or yellow flowers strongly speckled with maroon, up to in diameter. The succulent, stocky or slender shoots lie at the base and then ascend, or stand upright, forming small clumps with a diameter of 5 to 20 cm, rarely up to one meter. The slender shoots grow to about 15 cm long or high with a diameter of about 0.5 to 1 cm. Stocky shoots only grow to 4 to 5 cm high with a diameter of less than 1 cm. The shoots are green with purple spots. The warts are splayed and up to 3 to 9 mm, rarely up to 1.5 cm long. They are loosely arranged in four obtuse-angled ribs, each with a longitudinal groove between the ribs. The rudiments of

stipule In botany, a stipule is an outgrowth typically borne on both sides (sometimes on just one side) of the base of a leafstalk (the petiole (botany), petiole). They are primarily found among dicots and rare among monocots. Stipules are considered part ...

s may be missing. The

latex Latex is an emulsion (stable dispersion) of polymer microparticles in water. Latices are found in nature, but synthetic latices are common as well. In nature, latex is found as a wikt:milky, milky fluid, which is present in 10% of all floweri ...

is colorless.

Inflorescences

The flowers may show regular (banded) markings, or irregular ones. They have five pointed or blunt lobes surrounding a central, pentagonal annulus (corona). The flowers may have a faint carrion smell to attract potential insect pollinators. The

inflorescence In botany, an inflorescence is a group or cluster of flowers arranged on a plant's Plant stem, stem that is composed of a main branch or a system of branches. An inflorescence is categorized on the basis of the arrangement of flowers on a mai ...

stem is 2 to 6 mm long and 0.2 to 0.3 mm in diameter. The inflorescence contains one to five flowers. The flower buds are elongated and pointed at the end, but also flat and rounded. The

hermaphrodite A hermaphrodite () is a sexually reproducing organism that produces both male and female gametes. Animal species in which individuals are either male or female are gonochoric, which is the opposite of hermaphroditic. The individuals of many ...

flower is radially symmetrical and has five

petal Petals are modified leaves that form an inner whorl surrounding the reproductive parts of flowers. They are often brightly coloured or unusually shaped to attract pollinators. All of the petals of a flower are collectively known as the ''corol ...

s. The five

sepal A sepal () is a part of the flower of angiosperms (flowering plants). Usually green, sepals typically function as protection for the flower in bud, and often as support for the petals when in bloom., p. 106 Etymology The term ''sepalum'' ...

s are about 9 mm long. The five petals are fused in a flat, basin-shaped manner, and the corolla has a diameter of 5 to 9 cm. The corolla is green on the outside, and the corolla lobes and

venation Venation may refer to: * Venation (botany), the arrangement of veins in leaves * Wing venation, the arrangement of veins in insect wings See also * * Vernation Vernation or leafing is the formation of new leaves or fronds. In plant anatomy, it ...

are tinged with red. The inside of the corolla is pale greenish-yellow or light yellowish with a variable pattern of more or less large blackish-purple, crimson, or purple-brown spots and dots. The round or rounded-pentagonal annulus is usually lighter yellow and more finely patterned. The margin is recurved, the surface warty, and transversely wrinkled on the inside. The corolla tube encloses the

corona Corona (from the Latin for 'crown') most commonly refers to: * Stellar corona, the outer atmosphere of the Sun or another star * Corona (beer), a Mexican beer * Corona, informal term for the coronavirus or disease responsible for the COVID-19 ...

. Flowering occurs from late summer to early fall. The petal lobes are approximately triangular, flat-spreading, or slightly curved outwards, with a length of about 2.5 cm and a width of about 2.3 cm. The corona, which measures 6 to 7 mm in diameter, is pale yellow with dark purple dots, or dark purple. The interstaminal coronal lobes are deeply pocket-shaped, oblong-rectangular and up to half bifid or bidentate, as well as ascending and diverging. The staminal coronal lobes are 3 mm long and 1.2 mm wide and ovate-lanceolate in shape. They have thread-thin or subulate processes of approximately equal length at the base and upper end, which project beyond the style head at the upper end. The ends are club-shaped and curved outwards. There is a

nectar Nectar is a viscous, sugar-rich liquid produced by Plant, plants in glands called nectaries, either within the flowers with which it attracts pollination, pollinating animals, or by extrafloral nectaries, which provide a nutrient source to an ...

cavity, the opening is teardrop-shaped. The

pollinia A pollinium (: pollinia) is a coherent mass of pollen grains in a plant that are the product of only one anther, but are transferred, during pollination, as a single unit. This is regularly seen in plants such as orchids and many species of milkwee ...

are narrowly D-shaped, 0.8 mm wide and 0.5 mm high. The follicles are arranged in pairs, at an acute angle to each other, and upright. They are long, spindle-shaped with a smooth surface and up to 12 cm long

Cultivation

This plant is popular in cultivation, and is often sold under its former name ''Stapelia variegata''. It has many common names, including starfish plant, starfish cactus, carrion cactus, carrion flower, toad cactus, toad plant. It is not closely related to the true

cactus A cactus (: cacti, cactuses, or less commonly, cactus) is a member of the plant family Cactaceae (), a family of the order Caryophyllales comprising about 127 genera with some 1,750 known species. The word ''cactus'' derives, through Latin, ...

family. When grown as an ornamental plant in temperate zones it requires protection, as it does not tolerate freezing temperatures. It is best grown under glass, in similar conditions to cacti. In the UK it has gained the

Royal Horticultural Society The Royal Horticultural Society (RHS), founded in 1804 as the Horticultural Society of London, is the UK's leading gardening charity. The RHS promotes horticulture through its five gardens at Wisley (Surrey), Hyde Hall (Essex), Harlow Carr ...

Award of Garden Merit The Award of Garden Merit (AGM) is a long-established award for plants by the British Royal Horticultural Society (RHS). It is based on assessment of the plants' performance under UK growing conditions. It includes the full range of cultivated p ...

Distribution

Native to

southern Africa Southern Africa is the southernmost region of Africa. No definition is agreed upon, but some groupings include the United Nations geoscheme for Africa, United Nations geoscheme, the intergovernmental Southern African Development Community, and ...

, it thrives at altitudes between 0 and about 1,000 meters. It grows on gently sloping, but rarely steep, rocky

slope In mathematics, the slope or gradient of a Line (mathematics), line is a number that describes the direction (geometry), direction of the line on a plane (geometry), plane. Often denoted by the letter ''m'', slope is calculated as the ratio of t ...

s, sometimes under bushes, but also in locations with more or less full sun exposure.

Gallery

File:Orbea variegata1GAETI.jpg, Flower showing regular markings File:Stapelia variegata pm.jpg, Mature colonies File:Orbea variegata, fruto.jpg, Fruit Stapelia variegata 1787.jpg, Botanical illustration Orbea variegata (Stapelia) (3772565116).jpg, Opening flower File:Orbea variegata и Kalanchoe - Ботаничка градина Скопје.jpg, Long trailing stems

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q163196 Asclepiadoideae Endemic flora of the Cape Provinces Garden plants of Southern Africa Flora of South Africa Groundcovers