Stapelia gigantea

Stapelia gigantea

Stapelia gigantea, also called Aasblume, is a species of the subfamily of milkweed plants ( Asclepiadoideae ). She has within the Stapelia species, the largest flowers (diameter up to 40 cm). With the name Aasblume but other species of the genus Stapelia are called.

Features

Stapelia gigantea grows in stem succulents, low - bent upright shoots in a compact growth habit. They can to about 25 cm long and reach a diameter of about 2.5 cm. Warts are indicated, the leaves about 2 to 3 mm long. The corolla varies from light yellow to reddish purple with darker, winding transverse wrinkles, measuring up to 40 cm in diameter. She sits on a 6 cm long peduncle. The top is flat to slightly bell-shaped. Most significantly darker crown tube is relatively flat and often surrounded by a slightly slightly inflated ring. The crown tip reach a length up to 16 cm. You are outside hairy fluffy, slightly hairy inside. The strong hairs are white to purple often more or less curled and. The corona is dark purple and short-stalked, rarely nearly sessile. The interstaminalen corona lobes measure 5-5 × 1.5 to 2.5 mm, and stand upright. You are notched rectangular or spatulate and apical and attached blunt tip. The staminal corona lobes measure 8-12 × 1-2 mm, and are widened at the base. You have a apical extension and partially cover the stamens. The pollinium is brown and measures about 1 × 0.7 mm. They have the form of a D. The fruits are pale yellow.

Dissemination

The species occurs from South Africa to Botswana, Swaziland, Zimbabwe, Zambia, Mozambique, Malawi to Tanzania before.

Synonyms

The species was first described by Nicholas Edward Brown in 1877. The type specimen came from KwaZulu- Natal ( South Africa). Later, the species was also described under the following names, which are therefore considered synonyms:

• Stapelia cylista C.A.Lückh.
• Stapelia marlothii N.E.Br.
• Stapelia gigantea var pallida E.Phillips
• Stapelia nobilis N.E.Br.
• Stapelia Youngii N.E.Br.