Stapelia leendertziae (live succulent)

Stapelia leendertziae (live succulent)

Family: Apocynaceae

Common names: bell stapelia, Leendertz’s carrion flower, carrion chalice, carrion flower, rugose cup starfish, maroon cup starfish, star flower, black bells, aaskelk, aasklok, rooiaasblom, tulp assblom.

This plant is a perennial, clump-forming succulent, with stems 75–150 mm tall and 9–13 mm in diameter. The surface of the stem is velvety hairy, 4-angled and slightly concave between the toothed stem ridges. The striking flowers grow singly or in pairs, emerging from the mid-section of a stem, hanging down where space allows. Stems tend to branch near the point where a flower stalk is attached. The large a globe- to bell-shaped flowers are smooth and glossy on the outside and very finely hairy. This is a rooted cutting.