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Plant ID
GD-APO-013-0042
Common Name(s)
Giant Carrion Flower
Giant Starfish Flower
Carrion Plant
Scientific Name
Stapelia cf. gigantea
Plant Photograph
Figure 1. Stapelia cf. gigantea
Photo Caption:
A flowering Stapelia specimen displaying a large developing carrion flower with strongly recurved, triangular lobes, yellow to ochre inner surfaces, dark maroon-brown markings, and conspicuous reddish hairs along the margins. The flower is photographed before fully expanding and is consistent with the distinctive floral form of Stapelia gigantea.
Photography:
Green Desert Agritourism Park
Plant Description
A stem-succulent Stapelia specimen photographed in flower, with pale green, angular, fleshy stems supporting a large developing bloom. The flower is composed of thick, triangular lobes that curve strongly inward, creating a distinctive sculptural, almost enclosed appearance while the flower is still opening.
The inner surfaces display contrasting yellow to ochre areas overlaid with dark maroon to brown coloration. Fine reddish hairs are particularly conspicuous along the margins and pointed portions of the lobes. These characters are consistent with the large, hairy flowers associated with Stapelia gigantea. Mature flowers of S. gigantea are characteristically large, rotate to a spreading star-like form, and have yellowish to reddish surfaces with transverse reddish-brown markings and fine hairs. PlantZAfrica
The specimen is conservatively recorded as Stapelia cf. gigantea because the photograph captures the flower during development rather than showing a fully expanded bloom. The “cf.” designation indicates that S. gigantea is the leading identification but remains provisional.
Life’s Whispers
Beauty does not always arrive quietly. Some flowers announce themselves through strange colors, curious forms, and secrets meant for unexpected visitors. What first appears mysterious may be nature’s own invitation to life.
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