A couple of months back, Sonya posted a photograph of a succulent with an interesting flower. I have a succulent with a similar leaf structure to Sonya’s and with an equally interesting, but different flower. Any suggestions as to what it is?
Mulch Love
The plant is called a Stapelia – they are one of only a few carnivorous plants in South Africa. They’re also sometimes called a carrion flower because they smell of rotting meat, and attract flies as a result. Quite amazing plants really?
hey ross, that is really interesting. I will go take a whiff next time it flowers 🙂
just don’t get too close smile, he might bite your nose off.
Looks like Orbea variegata.found mostly on coastal granite or shale outcropsin SW and S Cape
I think it is Huernia hystrix or Porcupine huernia, which grows from KwaZulu-Natal through to Mpumalanga. The little spikes harden and turn yellow. Huernias, stapelias and orbeas all look very similar and are some of the amazing species belonging to the carrion flower family.
Lorraine is right, the plant’s name is Huernia hystrix. Ross, they are not carniverous plants, although I confess Huernia hystrix does look like it is ready to chew anything that touches it. The reason for the smell is to attract pollinators, usually flies. However, Huernias do not smell, of the South African species, it is usually the Stapelia’s, Orbea’s and Tridentia’s that have the foul smell.