Stapelia grandiflora
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Stapelia grandiflora |
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Stapelia grandiflora , also Aasblume called, is a species of plant from the subfamily of the asclepiadoideae (Asclepiadoideae). It is one of the Stapelia species with the largest flowers (up to 22 cm in diameter). Other species of the genus Stapelia are also referred towith the name carrion flower.
features
The species forms perennial, stem succulent , relatively large shoots in compact growth forms. The shoots reach a height of up to 30 cm and a diameter of up to 3 cm. The flower stalk, which tapers towards the tip, can be up to 7 cm long. It becomes about 5 mm thick. The corolla is brownish and measures up to 22 cm in diameter. It is usually flat to broadly funnel-shaped. The corolla tube is short and narrow, and basally includes the secondary coronet. The crown lobes are up to 8.8 cm long and oval-pointed. The tips are often bent far outwards and mostly bald. On the outside there are fine downy hairs, inside the central parts are covered with shorter, the edges with long, soft hair. The secondary crown has a short stalk. The interstaminal coronary lobes are 7 to 9 mm long, rounded-rectangular and z. T. slightly widening apically. They are concave and more or less upright. Apically they are slightly curved outwards, and irregularly serrated or notched. The staminal corolla lobes are brown, often turning yellow towards the tip, 6 to 11 mm long and upright. The stamens are orange to brownish in color. They measure 1 to 1.25 mm × 0.6 to 0.75 mm and are D-shaped.
The fruits are usually single.
The number of chromosomes is 2n = 22.
distribution
The species occurs in the arid regions of the northern, western and eastern Cape Provinces and the Free State of the Republic of South Africa . The very showy and large flowers have made it a very popular houseplant.
Mimesis
The flowers of Stapelia grandiflora give off a penetrating scent of carrion that attracts carrion flies ( mimesis ). They also crawl over the stamens and Gymnostegium and fertilize the plant. The smell together with the flesh-colored surface even tempts many flies to lay their eggs on the flowers. The hatching larvae perish. The advantage is one-sided on the plant side.
Systematics and taxonomy
The species was first described by Francis Masson in 1797. Synonyms for Stapelia grandiflora Masson are Stapelia ambigua Masson , Stapelia ambigua var. Fulva Sweet , Stapelia grandiflora var. Lineata N. E. Brown , Stapelia obscura N. E. Brown , Stapelia desmetiana N. E. Brown , Stapelia desmetiana var. Apicalis N. E. Brown , Stapelia flavirostris N. E. Brown , Stapelia desmetiana var. pallisa N.E. Brown , Stapelia senilis N.E. Brown and Stapelia desmetiana var. fergusoniae R.A. Dyer .
One can distinguish between two varieties:
- Stapelia grandiflora var. Conformis (NEBr.) Bruyn (Syn .: stapelia conformis N.E.Br. ): It occurs in the Eastern Cape Province.
- Stapelia grandiflora var. Grandiflora : It is common in South Africa.
literature
- Focke Albers and Ulli Meve (eds.): Succulent lexicon Volume 3 Asclepiadaceae (silk plants) . Ulmer, Stuttgart 2002, 322 pages, ISBN 978-3-8001-3982-8 .
Individual evidence
- ↑ Stapelia grandiflora at Tropicos.org. In: IPCN Chromosome Reports . Missouri Botanical Garden, St. Louis
- ↑ a b c Rafaël Govaerts (Ed.): Stapelia - World Checklist of Selected Plant Families of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Last accessed on November 13, 2018.
Web links
- Botanical Garden of the Ruhr University Bochum ( Memento from June 14, 2007 in the Internet Archive )