I recently came across several Stapelia plants at the Huntington Library—some with huge star-shaped flowers, others much smaller—but none of them were labeled, so I had no idea which species I was looking at. If you’re curious like I was, the PlantZAfrica website has a great collection of photos that makes it easy to compare and identify different types.
Stapelia are fascinating little succulents from southern Africa, best known for their “carrion flowers” that smell like rotting meat. The strange colors, hairy petals, and strong scent are all tricks to attract flies, which pollinate the flowers. (Some species, though, surprisingly smell sweet!) These plants actually make great container succulents—as long as they get plenty of sun and very well-drained soil, since their stems rot if they stay wet.
Their star-shaped blooms come in all sizes, from tiny to impressively large, and the seed pods look like fuzzy twin horns that eventually release silky, wind-blown seeds. They’re unusual, a little weird, and definitely memorable—which is exactly why they caught my attention.
我最近在亨廷頓圖書館看到了幾株犀角屬植物——有的開著巨大的星形花，有的則小得多——但它們都沒有標籤，所以我完全不知道它們是什麼品種。如果你也像我一樣好奇，PlantZAfrica 網站上有大量的圖片，可以讓你輕鬆地比較和識別不同的品種。
犀角屬植物是來自南部非洲的迷人小型多肉植物，最出名的是它們散發著腐肉氣味的「腐肉花」。它們奇特的顏色、毛茸茸的花瓣和濃烈的氣味都是為了吸引蒼蠅，讓蒼蠅為花朵授粉。 (不過，有些品種的犀角屬植物聞起來卻很香！）這些植物其實很適合盆栽——只要它們能獲得充足的陽光和排水良好的土壤，因為如果莖部長時間處於潮濕狀態，就會腐爛。
它們星形的花朵大小不一，從嬌小到碩大都有，種子莢看起來像毛茸茸的雙角，最終會釋放出柔軟光滑、隨風飄散的種子。它們很奇特，有點怪異，但絕對令人難忘——這正是它們吸引我的原因。
Stapelia hirsuta 妖姬毛犀角 ??
Stapelia gigantea 巨花犀角 ??
Stapelia
Notes 筆記
- Stapelia, commonly called carrion flowers or African starfish flowers, is a genus of low-growing, spineless, stem-succulent plants native to the arid regions of tropical and southern Africa. Most species are known for their foul-smelling flowers, which often resemble rotting meat. Their hairy surfaces, coloration, and texture mimic decaying animal matter and attract flies, which serve as pollinators. In contrast, a few species—such as Stapelia erectiflora and S. flavopurpurea—produce sweetly scented flowers, though these are uncommon.
- The odors produced by Stapelia flowers attract specialized pollinators, especially blow flies in the family Calliphoridae. These flies are often deceived into laying their eggs around the corona of the flower, mistaking it for actual carrion.
- Stapelia species make excellent container plants and grow well in full sun with light to moderate watering. They require well-drained soil, as the stems are prone to rot if kept moist for extended periods.
- The stems are typically erect and uniformly green to reddish, depending on sun exposure. Only occasionally are they mottled with red or purple. The star-shaped flowers vary greatly in size—ranging from about 6 mm to 400 mm across—but their basic form is consistent: usually flat, deeply lobed, and visually striking.
- The fruit consists of paired follicles that are often pubescent and may contain many seeds. Each seed has a thin marginal rim and a tuft of silky hairs that aids in wind dispersal.
- 犀角屬俗稱腐肉花或非洲海星花，是一類生長低矮、無刺、莖肉質的植物，原產於熱帶和南部非洲的乾旱地區。這屬大多數植物以其散發惡臭的花朵而聞名，這些花朵通常有類似腐肉之味。它們毛茸茸的表面、顏色和質地像腐爛的動物屍體，吸引蒼蠅來授粉。相較之下，少數犀角屬植物——例如直花犀角（Stapelia erectiflora）和妖星角（S. flavopurpurea）——會開出香氣甜美的花朵，但這些並不常見。
- 犀角屬的花散發的氣味會吸引特定的傳粉昆蟲，尤其是麗蠅科的蒼蠅。這些蒼蠅常常被迷惑，將花冠誤認為腐肉，從而將卵產在花冠周圍。
- 犀角屬植物非常適合盆栽，喜陽光充足、澆水適中的環境。它們需要排水良好的土壤，因為莖部如果長時間保持潮濕，則容易腐爛。
- 莖通常直立，顏色均勻，從綠色到紅褐色不等，具體顏色取決於日照情況。偶爾會帶有紅色或紫色斑點。星形花朵大小差異很大，直徑從約 6 公釐到 400 公釐不等，但基本形態一致：通常扁平，分葉深，引人注目的。
- 果實由成對的囊組成，通常有軟毛，內含多粒種子。每粒種子邊緣有薄薄的環狀突起，並有一簇絲狀毛，有助於風力傳播。
References 參考資料
Plants Posts 植物的帖子
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