Stapelia gigantea is a plant that prefers a very warm and dry climate. It requires full sun to thrive and cannot tolerate temperatures under 10 degrees Celsius. Stapelia gigantea is also drought tolerant and can flourish with miniscule amounts of moisture (MBG 2016). Drought tolerance of Stapelia gigantea is a result of it being a CAM plant (Kluge & Ting 2012). This means that S. gigantea only opens it stoma at night when temperatures are lower and then stores food in the form of malic acid. These plants prosper in dry soils that are very well drained and can even survive in shallow-rocky soil. The most important ecological requirement of Stapelia gigantea is the warm and dry climate. The biggest requirement in ornamental uses of Stapelia gigantea is providing the plant optimal sunlight and warmth. Stapelia gigantea is not found in sandy soils or drastically arid regions of Africa (Marwat & Khan 2009). It is also not found in very wet areas as well as areas of high elevations. Stapelia gigantea is predominately found in regions of low moisture and warm temperatures at reasonably low elevations. Although there are not many pollinators found where Stapelia gigantea grows, the plant has evolved to emit a foul odor similar to rotting meat. This odor attracts flies who congregate to the petals where they inadvertently become covered with pollen. When these flies decide to move to another Stapelia gigantea flower for the rotting smell, they pollinate the species (Lorence 2014).
Stapelia gigantea is found in southern parts of Africa including Zimbabwe, Botswana, and predominantly in Namibia. It is one of the most vastly distributed species of carrion flower. Stapelia gigantea cannot tolerate temperatures lower than 10 degrees Celsius (USDA Zones 9-10) and is native to these sunny arid regions of tropical Africa (MBG 2016). It thrives in dry to semi-dry, fertile, and well-drained soils and can survive in most any habitat. Stapelia gigantea also does not require vast amounts of moisture which allow them to live in such dry regions of Africa (MBG 2016). However, Stapelia gigantea is unable to grow in sandy areas as well as areas of high elevation. Although S. gigantea is very common in this wide spread area of southeastern Africa, it will not be found natively in any other region due to the unique climate and soil conditions. This means that Stapelia gigantea is a very rare plant in terms of global distribution (Marwat & Khan 2009). Stapelia gigantea can be found along the concentrated bases of mountain ranges in southeastern Africa where it thrives in the arid climate and lower elevation. Although Stapelia gigantea is only considered to be native and thriving in southeastern Africa, populations of Stapelia gigantea have been discovered in areas such as Hawaii and Australia where it has escaped cultivation and is able to survive in the arid climates. In areas outside of southeastern Africa where Stapelia gigantea is thriving, it is considered an invasive species (Bester 2006).
Stapelia gigantea is popular for some of its slight medicinal use in the Southern Africa and South Eastern Africa region.The Zulu people of South Eastern Africa use Stapelia gigantea as a remedy for hysteria (Watt & Breyer-Brandwijk 1962).There is evidence that the plant itself is said to cause vomiting and contain anthraquinones that act as laxatives (Watt & Breyer-Brandwijk 1962).To prepare the plant it is burnt to an ash, and then rubbed into shallow incisions on the body or limbs known as scarifications to act as a pain reliever (Watt & Breyer-Brandwijk 1962).Some also believe that a Zulu sorcerer could combine S. gigantea with dirt from a grave into a medicine to cause another death within the village (Watt & Breyer-Brandwijk 1962).Sometimes S. gigantea plants were planted close to Zulu villages, or kraals, to ward off lightning (Watt & Breyer-Brandwijk 1962).Some farmers in northern KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa were also found to be using various trees, shrubs, and herbs for their livestock, Stapelia gigantea being one of them (Kunene et al. 2003).In this region, some farmers gave their cattle or goats low levels of S. gigantea leaves to cure diarrhea (Kunene et al. 2003).In some instances, however it was found to cause diarrhea as well (Kunene et al. 2003).To prepare the leaves for consumption by the animals the farmers simply boiled the leaves (Kunene et al. 2003).Another medicinal use of S. gigantea is for bone fractures (Azad et al. 2014).Santal tribal practitioners use a variety of different plants to cure illness and pain (Azad et al. 2014).To use S. gigantea the whole plant is macerated into a juice (Azad et al. 2014).The juice is then massaged into the area of the bone fracture to relieve pain (Azad et al. 2014).One study found that S. gigantea also contains low concentrations of hordenine (Keller 1981).Hordenine is used in some animal feeds and after ingestion it can be detected in blood and urine of the animal (Hapke & Strathmann 1995).In experiments of some animals it was found to have an overall effect of speeding up the heart (Hapke & Strathmann 1995).It has a “positive inotropic effect upon the heart, increases systolic and diastolic blood pressure, peripheral blood flow volume, and inhibits gut movements” (Hapke & Strathmann 1995).
Stapelia gigantea is a species of plant that is one of 75 succulent plants in the genus Stapelia (Tikkanen & Hosch 2008).It is also part of the dogbane family, Apocynaceae, which also includes the milkweeds (Keller 1981).The common name of this plant is the starfish plant or the Zulu giant (Keller 1981).It is an invasive plant species known for its large flower and succulent stems.The invasion patterns have been tracked to Hawaii, the continental U.S., Puerto Rico, and more recently, Venezuela (Herrera 2009).These invasion patterns could possibly be attributed to the ornamental use of the plant. Succulent plants have modified stems that are used for storage of water and they are common in plants from dry or arid regions.The succulent stems of the S. gigantea hold modified leaves known as spines (Tikkanen 2008).These spines are along four ridges of the succulent stems and protect the water carrying stem from any predators (Tikkanen & Hosch 2008).The stem and leaves themselves are green.Stapelia gigantea reproduces sexually through pollination of its large flower known as the carrion flower (Johnson 2010).The flower has purple, yellow, and has red markings on its five-petal corolla (Tikkanen & Hosch 2008).It is a dicot angiosperm with a sporic life cycle (or alternation of generations).Along the edges of the petals there are also long white hair like structures that are believed to help the flower resemble a dead animal (Johnson 2016).This plant also exhibits some degree of gigantism, which is simply a flower that has evolved or adapted and thus become very large.The plant is also a perennial meaning it will live for an extended period of more than one or two years.The carrion flower on this species emits an odor of carrion which also happens to be what the plant is named after (Tikkanen & Hosch 2008).The odor that the flower emits attracts flies that lay their eggs inside and pollinate the flower (Tikkanen & Hosch 2008).The reason flies are attracted to this odor is because it resembles a rotting or decaying animal carcass (Johnson 2016). The flower’s odor is similar in foulness to the Stinkhorn fungi and commonly attracts Calliphoridae, or Blowflies, and sometimes Sacrophagidae, or Flesh flies (Johnson 2010).
Stapelia gigantea is a species of flowering plant in the genus Stapelia of the family Apocynaceae.[1] Common names include Zulu giant,[2] carrion plant and toad plant (although the nickname "carrion plant" can also refer to Stapelia grandiflora). The plant is native to the desert regions of South Africa to Tanzania.[3]
Growing up to 20 cm (8 in) tall, it is a clump-forming succulent with erect green stems 3 cm (1.2 in) thick. The blooms are large star-shaped five-petalled flowers up to 25 cm (9.8 in) in diameter. The flowers are red and yellow, wrinkled, with a silky texture and fringed with hairs, that can be as long as 8 mm (0.3 in). They bloom in autumn, triggered by the shorter daylight hours.[3]
The flowers have the smell of rotting flesh,[4] in order to attract the flies which pollinate them. Scent compounds of carrion flowers responsible for their odour include diamines (putrescine and cadaverine), sulfur compounds and various phenolic molecules.[5] Because of the foul odor of its flower, S. gigantea can act as an appetite suppressant in humans.[6]
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 them.[7] The large size and color of the flowers combined with the carrion smell may cause the flies to behave as if it is a dead carcass and be more likely to visit it.[7][8]
Since it does not tolerate temperatures below 10 °C (50 °F) for extended periods, this plant must be grown under glass in temperate zones. It has gained the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit.[9][10]
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.[11]
Flower and Plant
Stems
Stems
Flower and bud
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 (although the nickname "carrion plant" can also refer to Stapelia grandiflora). The plant is native to the desert regions of South Africa to Tanzania.
