Stapelia

Taxobox
name = Carrion Flowers

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image_width = 220px
image_caption = "Stapelia gigantea"
regnum = Plantae
divisio = Magnoliophyta
classis = Magnoliopsida
ordo = Gentianales
familia = Apocynaceae
subfamilia = Asclepiadoideae
tribus = Stapeliae
genus = "Stapelia"
subdivision_ranks = Species
subdivision = See Text

The genus "Stapelia" consists of around 40 species of low growing, spineless, stem succulent plants, predominantly from South Africa. The 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". Such odours serve to attract various specialist pollinators including, in the case of carrion scented blooms, blow flies of the dipteran family Calliphoridae. They frequently lay eggs around the coronae of "Stapelia" flowers, convinced by the plants' deception.

The 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.

elected species