Re: off topic! Cactus (D:Stapelia gigantea)

At 08:34 PM 3/3/01 -0700, Charles Dills wrote:
>I'm sorry if this offends anyone, but I have been asked to identify four 
>cacti and a monocot. And I have no idea what they are. If anyone knows 
>them or has an idea of how I can find out, please respond to me privately. 
>And thanks for any help. I would be glad to offer this service to any of you.
>         You can find them at:
>
>                 http://www.charlies-web.com/nonbrompuzzles/unknown.html

Charles -

your 'Cactus D' is Stapelia gigantea, also known as S. nobilis.  The stems 
are somewhat soft, silky in texture, with a flat-winged 4-cross section.  I 
don't really recall any 'thorns', though there are rudimentary 'leaves' 
that dry immediately.  The flowers are large in relation to the plant, 
star-shaped, opening from a balloon-like bud.  They are pale, sickly yellow 
with dull reddish maroon cross-band stripes or stippling, and a sparse 
covering of maroon hairs.  They emit a strong smell of carrion upon 
opening, which fades gradually through the life of the flower (I think the 
flowers last a couple of days).  If there are any flies within 20 miles, 
they come to visit this new treat.  Maggots canusually be found at the 
flower center before it fades!!!

Here are some flower photos:
http://www.battersbyornamental.com/cactus.htm
http://www.plantoftheweek.org/week048.shtml
http://www.texasriviera.com/gthumbs2/00sept5-2.html

As a connoisseur of weird and strange plants, I have grown this myself.  it 
likes a far amount of heat, good bright light (not necessarily strong, 
direct sunlight), and very well drained soil.  It should be grown very dry 
or else it will rot.  Easy to propagate from healed stem cuttings.  A great 
curiosity around the world - I saw many pots of this plant on balconies and 
stems in southern Italy!  People always love weird stuff!

Stapeliads, a group of the Asclepiadaceae (Milkweed family) from Africa 
named for this genus, are interesting plants.  Old world cactus-mimics, 
they are an example of convergent evolution of divergent species adapting 
to similar conditions.  I have long been looking for a species in this 
group that would tolerate being grown out-of-doors in a fast-draining soil 
here in the Bay Area, as an exhibit in a succulent garden I deal with here 
in Oakland.  Stapelia (Orbea) variegata is a very easy relation to Charles' 
plant, much smaller in flower and stem, and not so smelly, but also not as 
dramatic.  If anyone knows of a species in the group that I might try, 
please suggest!  Meanwhile, if anyone has a good form of Stapelia (Orbea) 
variegata that they can share cuttings from, I'm interested!

Regards,
Sean O.


h o r t u l u s   a p t u s     -    'a garden suited to its purpose'
Sean A. O'Hara        fax (707) 667-1173     sean.ohara@groupmail.com
710 Jean Street, Oakland, CA 94610-1459, U.S.A.
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