''Stapelia grandiflora'' is a species of

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 genus ''

Stapelia ''Stapelia'' is a genus of low-growing, spineless, stem succulent plants, predominantly from South Africa with a few from other parts of Africa. Several Asian and Latin American species were formerly included but they have all now been transfer ...

'' of 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 ...

. It is commonly referred to as the carrion plant, starfish flower, giant toad plant, or starfish cactus, although it is not related to cacti at all. This " carrion plant" nickname can also refer to similar ''Stapelia'' species as well as members of related genera, including ''

Stapelia gigantea ''Stapelia gigantea'' is a species of flowering plant in the genus '' Stapelia'' of the family Apocynaceae. Common names include Zulu giant, carrion plant and toad plant (although the nickname "carrion plant" can also refer to '' Stapelia grandif ...

'' and '' Orbea variegata''. ''Stapelia grandiflora'' sometimes also goes by the name of ''Stapelia flavirostris''. The plant is native to

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 ...

, including the Northern Cape, Eastern Cape, and Free State.

Description

This plant is a very variable species, with many hybrids. The stems can be either erect or ascending 9-10 (-30) cm long and up to 3 cm in diameter (usually less than 2 cm). The flowers are velvety and smaller in size than those of ''

'', they come in various shapes and colors. Flowers are intermittently produced in the late summer and fall seasons. The name " carrion plant" is due to the odor emitted by the flowers as a technique of attracting flies in areas where other pollinating insects are scarce.

Gallery

File:Carrion Plant (Stapelia grandiflora).jpg, alt=A blowfly sitting on a Stapelia Flower, attracted to the smell., A blowfly sitting on a Stapelia Flower, attracted to the smell. File:Carrion Plant, Starfish Flower, Starfish Cactus (Stapelia grandiflora).jpg, A potted specimen File:Aasblume, Stapelia grandiflora.JPG, Blossom of the carrion plant. File:Knospe der Aasblume, Stapelia grandiflora.JPG, Carrion plant slowly opening. File:Francis Masson03.jpg, Illustration of the flower by Francis Masson, 1796.

References

grandiflora Flora of Southern Africa Plants described in 1797 {{Apocynaceae-stub