Carrion Flowers
Stapelia gigantea
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae Division: Magnoliophyta Class: Magnoliopsida Order: Gentianales Family: Apocynaceae Subfamily: Asclepiadoideae Tribe: Stapeliae Genus: Stapelia
Species
See Text

The genus Stapelia consists of around 40 species of low growing, spineless, stem succulent plants, predominantly from South Africa. The flowers in some species, notably Stapelia gigantea can reach 41 cm (16 inches) in diameter and in all species are hairy to varying degrees and generate the odour of rotten flesh. This attracts pollinating flies, metallic blue, green, or bronze blow flies of the dipteran family Calliphoridae. The colour of the flowers has been claimed to resemble that of rotting meat. Members of the Stapelia genus are nicknamed "carrion flowers."

They are commonly cultivated as pot- or rockery plants in warmer countries.

Selected species

Stapelia acuminata Stapelia albicans Stapelia albipilosa Stapelia arenosa Stapelia asterias Stapelia aurea Stapelia ausana Stapelia barklyi Stapelia bayfieldii Stapelia baylissii Stapelia bella Stapelia cactiformis Stapelia cantabrigensis Stapelia caudata Stapelia cedrimontana Stapelia clavicorona Stapelia cupularis Stapelia desmetiana Stapelia dinteri Stapelia divaricata Stapelia divergens Stapelia engleriana Stapelia erectiflora Stapelia flavirostris Stapelia flavopurpurea Stapelia gariepensis Stapelia gettliffei Stapelia gigantea Stapelia glabricaulis Stapelia glabriflora Stapelia glanduliflora Stapelia grandiflora Stapelia hanburyana

Stapelia hirsuta Stapelia immelmaniac Stapelia knobelii Stapelia kougabergensis Stapelia kwebensis Stapelia leendertziae Stapelia lepida Stapelia macloughlinii Stapelia macowanii Stapelia maculosa Stapelia maculosoides Stapelia melanantha Stapelia mutabilis Stapelia obducta Stapelia olivacea Stapelia pachyrrhiza Stapelia paniculata Stapelia parvula Stapelia pearsonii Stapelia peglerae Stapelia pillansii Stapelia portae-taurinae Stapelia praetermissa var. luteola Stapelia praetermissa var. praetermissa Stapelia preastans Stapelia remota Stapelia rubiginosa Stapelia rufa Stapelia schinzii Stapelia scitula Stapelia tsomoensis Stapelia unicornis Stapelia variegata Stapelia vetula Stapelia villetiae Stapelia youngii

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Source: adapted by the editor from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia under a copyleft GNU Free Documentation License (GFDL) from the article "Stapelia"