{{Short description|Genus of plants}} {{Italic title}} {{Automatic taxobox |name = Carrion flowers |image = Aasblume Aug 2005.jpg |image_caption = ''Stapelia gigantea'' |display_parents = 2 |taxon = Stapelia |authority = L. |type_species = ''Stapelia hirsuta'' |type_species_authority = L.<ref>lectotype designated by Jarvis, Taxon 41: 570 (1992)</ref> |synonyms = *''× Gonostapelia'' {{small|P.V.Heath (1992)}} *''Gonostemma'' {{small|Spreng. (1830), orth. var.}} *''Gonostemon'' {{small|Haw. (1812)}} *''Stisseria'' {{small|Heist. ex Fabr. (1759), nom. superfl.}} |synonyms_ref = <ref name = powo>[https://powo.science.kew.org/taxon/urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:331981-2 ''Stapelia'' L.] ''Plants of the World Online''. Retrieved 28 July 2023.</ref> }}
'''''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 transferred to other genera.<ref>Gibbs Russell, G. E., W. G. M. Welman, E. Retief, K. L. Immelman, G. Germishuizen, B. J. Pienaar, M. Van Wyk & A. Nicholas. 1987. List of species of southern African plants. Memoirs of the Botanical Survey of South Africa 2(1–2): 1–152(pt. 1), 1–270(pt. 2).</ref><ref>[http://www.tropicos.org/Name/40004412 Tropicos]</ref> 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 odor of rotten flesh when they bloom.
== Description == The hairy, oddly textured and coloured appearance of many ''Stapelia'' flowers has been claimed to resemble that of rotting meat, and this, coupled with their odour, has earned the most commonly grown members of the genus ''Stapelia'' the common name of carrion flowers. 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.<ref>[http://www.plantzafrica.com/plantqrs/stapelia.htm PlantZAfrica.com, Stapelia Info]</ref>
== Cultivation == A handful of species are commonly cultivated as pot plants and are even used as rockery plants in countries where the climate permits. ''Stapelia'' are good container plants and can grow well under full sun and light to moderate watering. They should be planted in well-drained compost as the stems are prone to rotting if kept moist for long.<ref name ="TheLovelyPlants.com">[http://www.thelovelyplants.com/stapelia-gigantea/ TheLovelyPlants.com], TheLovelyPlants.com</ref>
== Species == 32 species are accepted:<ref name = powo/> {{Columns-list|colwidth=30em| # ''Stapelia acuminata'' {{small|Masson}} – South Africa # ''Stapelia arenosa'' {{small|C.A.Lückh.}} – Cape Province # ''Stapelia asterias'' {{small|Masson}} – South Africa # ''Stapelia cedrimontana'' {{small|Frandsen}} – Cape Province # ''Stapelia clavicorona'' {{small|I.Verd.}} – Transvaal # ''Stapelia concinna'' {{small|Masson}} – South Africa # ''Stapelia divaricata'' {{small|Masson}} – South Africa # ''Stapelia engleriana'' {{small|Schltr.}} – tropical Africa # ''Stapelia erectiflora'' {{small|N.E.Br.}} – South Africa # ''Stapelia flavopurpurea'' {{small|Marloth}} – South Africa # ''Stapelia gettliffei'' {{small|R.Pott}} – Transvaal # ''Stapelia gigantea'' {{small|N.E.Br.}} – KwaZulu-Natal # ''Stapelia glanduliflora'' {{small|Masson}} – South Africa # ''Stapelia grandiflora'' {{small|Masson}} – South Africa # ''Stapelia hirsuta'' {{small|L.}} – South Africa # ''Stapelia kwebensis'' {{small|N.E.Br.}} – Botswana # ''Stapelia leendertziae'' {{small|N.E.Br.}} – South Africa # ''Stapelia × meintjiesii'' {{small|I.Verd.}} – # ''Stapelia obducta'' {{small|L.C.Leach}} – Cape Province # ''Stapelia olivacea'' {{small|N.E.Br.}} – South Africa # ''Stapelia paniculata'' {{small|Willd.}} – South Africa # ''Stapelia parvula'' {{small|Kers}} – Angola # ''Stapelia pearsonii'' {{small|N.E.Br.}} – Great Namaqualand # ''Stapelia pillansii'' {{small|N.E.Br.}} – South Africa # ''Stapelia remota'' {{small|R.A.Dyer}} – Namibia # ''Stapelia rubiginosa'' {{small|Nel}} – Little Namaqualand # ''Stapelia rufa'' {{small|Masson}} – South Africa # ''Stapelia schinzii'' {{small|A.Berger & Schltr.}} – Namibia # ''Stapelia similis'' {{small|N.E.Br.}} – Little Namaqualand # ''Stapelia surrecta'' {{small|N.E.Br.}} – Cape Province # ''Stapelia unicornis'' {{small|C.A.Lückh.}} – Eswatini # ''Stapelia villetiae'' {{small|C.A.Lückh.}} – Cape Province }}
;Unplaced names<ref name = powo/> * ''Stapelia × dejecta'' {{small|Salm-Dyck}} * ''Stapelia fuscopurpurea'' {{small|N.E.Br.}} * ''Stapelia × massonii'' {{small|Haw.}} * ''Stapelia × multiflora'' {{small|DC.}} * ''Stapelia × multiflora'' {{small|Rüst}} * ''Stapelia × plantii'' {{small|Hook.f.}}
;Species formerly included<ref name=m>[http://www.theplantlist.org/tpl1.1/search?q=Stapelia The Plant List, genus ''Stapelia'']</ref><ref name = powo/> now transferred to other genera ''(Angolluma, Brachystelma, Caralluma, Duvalia, Echidnopsis, Gonolobus, Hoodia, Hoya, Huernia, Monolluma, Orbea, Orbeopsis, Pachycymbium, Piaranthus, Quaqua, Stapelianthus, Tromotriche, Tridentea, Triplosperma)'' {{Columns-list|colwidth=22em| # ''S. adscendens'' now ''Caralluma adscendens'' # ''S. albipilosa'' now ''Tridentea marientalensis'' subsp. ''albipilosa'' # ''S. albocastanea'' now ''Orbeopsis albocastanea'' # ''S. anemoniflora'' now ''Duvalia anemoniflora'' # ''S. ango'' now ''Caralluma ango'' # ''S. anguinea'' now ''Orbea variegata'' # ''S. aperta'' now ''Tridentea aperta'' # ''S. arida'' now ''Quaqua arida'' # ''S. articulata'' now ''Pectinaria articulata'' # ''S. atropurpurea'' now ''Orbea variegata'' # ''S. atrosanguinea'' now ''Piaranthus atrosanguineus'' # ''S. auobensis'' now ''Tridentea marientalensis'' # ''S. ausana'' now ''Tridentea jucunda'' var. ''dinteri'' # ''S. barbata'' now ''Huernia barbata'' # ''S. bisulca'' now ''Orbea variegata'' # ''S. bufonia'' now ''Orbea variegata'' # ''S. campanulata'' now ''Huernia campanulata'' # ''S. caudata'' now ''Ceropegia spathulata'' # ''S. chinensis'' now ''Hoya carnosa'' # ''S. choanantha'' now ''Tridentea choanantha'' # ''S. chrysostephana'' now ''Angolluma chrysostephana'' # ''S. ciliata'' now ''Orbea ciliata'' # ''S. cincta'' now ''Tridentea jucunda'' var. ''cincta'' # ''S. clavata'' now ''Trichocaulon clavatum'' # ''S. clavigera'' now ''Huernia clavigera'' # ''S. clypeata'' now ''Orbea variegata'' # ''S. cochinchinensis'' now ''Triplosperma cochinchinensis'' # ''S. compacta'' now ''Duvalia caespitosa'' var. ''compacta'' # ''S. concolor'' now ''Duvalia caespitosa'' # ''S. conspurcata'' now ''Orbea variegata'' # ''S. cooperi'' now ''Orbea cooperi'' # ''S. corderoyi'' now ''Duvalia corderoyi'' # ''S. curtisii'' now ''Orbea variegata'' # ''S. decaisneana'' now ''Pachycymbium decaisneanum'' # ''S. decora'' now ''Piaranthus germinatus'' subsp. ''decorus'' # ''S. deflexa'' now ''Orbea variegata'' # ''S. dinteri'' now ''Tridentea jucunda'' var. ''dinteri'' # ''S. dummeri'' now ''Orbea dummeri'' # ''S. dwequensis'' now ''Tridentea dwequensis'' # ''S. elegans'' now ''Duvalia elegans'' # ''S. europaea'' now ''Caralluma europaea'' # ''S. fucosa'' now ''Orbea verrucosa'' var. ''fucosa'' # ''S. furcata'' now ''Orbeopsis melanantha'' # ''S. fuscata'' {{small|Jacq.}} now ''Tromotriche revolut'' # ''S. geminata'' now ''Piaranthus geminatus'' # ''S. gemmiflora'' now ''Tridentea gemmiflora'' # ''S. gettleffii'' now ''Gonostemon gettliffei'' # ''S. glauca'' now ''Tromotriche revoluta'' # ''S. gordonii'' now ''Hoodia gordonii'' # ''S. gussoneana'' now ''Caralluma europaea'' # ''S. guttata'' now ''Huernia guttata'' # ''S. herrei'' now ''Tridentea herrei'' # ''S. hircosa'' now ''Tridentea gemmiflora'' # ''S. hirtella'' now ''Duvalia caespitosa'' # ''S. incarnata'' now ''Quaqua incarnata'' # ''S. irrorata'' now ''Orbea irrorata'' # ''S. jacquiniana'' now ''Duvalia elegans'' # ''S. jucunda'' now ''Tridentea jucunda'' # ''S. knobelii'' now ''Orbeopsis knobelii'' # ''S. laevis'' now ''Tromotriche pedunculata'' # ''S. lepida'' now ''Orbea lepida'' # ''S. longidens'' now ''Orbea longidens'' # ''S. longii'' now ''Tridentea longii'' # ''S. longipes'' now ''Tromotriche longipes'' # ''S. macloughlinii'' now ''Orbea macloughlinii'' # ''S. × maculosa'' now ''Orbea × maculosa'' # ''S. mammillaris'' now ''Quaqua mammillaris'' # ''S. marginata'' now ''Orbea variegata'' # ''S. marientalensis'' now ''Tridentea marientalensis'' # ''S. marmorata'' now ''Orbea variegata'' # ''S. mastodes'' now ''Duvalia caespitosa'' var. ''compacta'' # ''S. melanantha'' now ''Orbeopsis melanantha'' # ''S. mixta'' now ''Orbea variegata'' # ''S. montagnacii'' now ''Stapelianthus montagnacii'' # ''S. multangula'' now ''Echidnopsis multangula'' # ''S. namaquensis'' now ''Orbea namaquensis'' # ''S. neliana'' now ''Tridentea herrei'' # ''S. normalis'' now ''Orbea variegata'' # ''S. obliqua'' now ''Orbea variegata'' # ''S. ocellata'' now ''Huernia ocellata'' # ''S. orbicularis'' now ''Orbea variegata'' # ''S. pachyrrhiza'' now ''Tridentea pachyrrhiza'' # ''S. pancololote'' now ''Gonolobus pancololote'' # ''S. parviflora'' now ''Quaqua parviflora'' # ''S. parvipuncta'' now ''Tridentea parvipuncta'' # ''S. peculiaris'' now ''Tridentea peculiaris'' # ''S. pedunculata'' now ''Tridentea pedunculata'' # ''S. picta'' now ''Orbea variegata'' # ''S. pilifera'' now ''Hoodia pilifera'' # ''S. planiflora'' now ''Orbea variegata'' # ''S. prognatha'' now ''Orbea prognatha'' # ''S. pruinosa'' now ''Quaqua pruinosa'' # ''S. pulchella'' now ''Orbea pulchella'' # ''S. pulchra'' now ''Orbea verrucosa'' # ''S. pulla'' now ''Piaranthus pullus'' # ''S. punctata'' now ''Gonolobus luteus'' # ''S. quadrangula'' now ''Monolluma quadrangula'' # ''S. quinquenervis'' now ''Orbea variegata'' # ''S. radiata'' now ''Duvalia caespitosa'' # ''S. ramosa'' now ''Quaqua ramosa'' # ''S. reclinata'' now ''Duvalia caespitosa'' var. ''caespitosa'' # ''S. replicata'' now ''Duvalia caespitosa'' var. ''caespitosa'' # ''S. reticulata'' now ''Huernia reticulata'' # ''S. retusa'' now ''Orbea variegata'' # ''S. revoluta'' now ''Tromotriche revoluta'' # ''S. rogersii'' now ''Angolluma rogersii'' # ''S. roriflua'' now ''Orbea verrucosa'' # ''S. rugosa'' {{small|J.C.Wendl.}} now ''Orbea verrucosa'' # ''S. rugosa'' {{small|Donn ex Jacq.}} now ''Orbea variegata'' # ''S. ruschiana'' now ''Tridentea ruschiana'' # ''S. semota'' now ''Orbea semota'' # ''S. serrulata'' now ''Piaranthus geminatus'' subsp. ''decorus'' # ''S. stygia'' now ''Tridentea gemmiflora'' # ''S. subulata'' now ''Caralluma subulata'' # ''S. tapscottii'' now ''Orbea tapscottii'' # ''S. thudichumii'' now ''Tromotriche thudichumii'' # ''S. tubata'' now ''Huernia tubata'' # ''S. tuberculata'' now ''Duvalia caespitosa'' var. ''caespitosa'' # ''S. tuberosa'' now ''Brachystelma tuberosum'' # ''S. umbonata'' now ''Tridentea pachyrrhiza'' # ''S. umbracula'' now ''Orbea umbracula'' # ''S. vaga'' now ''Orbea lutea'' subsp. ''vaga'' # ''S. variegata'' now ''Orbea variegata'' # ''S. venusta'' now ''Huernia venusta'' # ''S. verrucosa'' now ''Orbea verrucosa'' # ''S. virescens'' now ''Tridentea virescens'' # ''S. wendlandiana'' now ''Orbea wendlandiana'' # ''S. woodii'' now ''Orbea woodii'' }}
==References== {{Wikispecies}} {{Reflist}}
{{Taxonbar|from=Q163930}} {{Authority control}}
Category:Stapelia Category:Apocynaceae genera Category:Succulent plants