Stapelia gigantea


Stapelia gigantea is a species of flowering plant in the genus Stapelia of the family Apocynaceae. Common names include Zulu giant, carrion plant and toad plant. The plant is native to the desert regions of South Africa to Tanzania.''

Description

Growing up to tall, it is a clump-forming succulent with erect green stems thick. The blooms are large star-shaped five-petalled flowers up to in diameter. The flowers are red and yellow, wrinkled, with a silky texture and fringed with hairs, that can be as long as. The flowers of this plant bloom in the Fall season, triggered by the shorter daylight hours.
They have the smell of rotting flesh, in order to attract the flies which pollinate them. Because of the foul odor of its flower, S. gigantea can act as an appetite suppressant in humans.
There have been several proposed reasons for the size of the flowers of S. gigantea. First, it is possible that they are large to attract the flies that pollinate it. The largeness and color of the flower combined with the carrion smell may serve to make the flies think that it is a dead carcass and be more likely to visit it. It has also been proposed that these large flowers could work as thermal regulators, much like the large ears of a Fennec fox.

Cultivation

Since it does not tolerate temperatures below for extended periods, this plant must be grown as a houseplant in temperate zones. It has gained the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit.

Ecology

S. gigantea can become an invasive plant when introduced in arid and semi-arid environments, although it has been found to facilitate the recruitment of nurse-dependent native taxa, those that require a suitable microhabitat created by another plant for successful germination, growth, and/or survival from impacts such as herbivory.

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