Publication: Sp. Pl. 1: 217 (1753)
Description
Stapelia hirsuta (a.k.a. African starfish flowers is best known for its foul-smelling flowers. It blooms a large star and it is 5 to 15 cm wide.
Notes: S. hirsuta is a very variable species with many hybrids both in the wild and in cultivation. Since the various forms are connected by intermediates it is extremely difficult to recognize infraspecific taxa.
Habit: Groundcover, clump forming.
Stem: Leafless, subquadrangular, ascending, usually fine-haired, green which redden in full sun and during the winter month.
Flower: Dark-red, flat and densely covered by long hair at the centre that remember the fur of a dead animal. At the base of young stems. Peduncle round. Corolla width very variable, from 5-15 cm (usually 10/12 cm) across and very deeply lobed. The moderate carrion smell of the flowers attracts flies which may lay eggs on the flower. Sometimes fly larvae that have hatched from the eggs can be seen on the flower.
Fruit: Flies pollinate the flowers resulting in the typical twin seed horns (follicles), which are decorative in themselves and often don’t appear until a year later.
Seeds: The pant readily produces seed which germinates 100% if sown when fresh.
Phenology: Blossoming time: Flowers are freely produced throughout the late summer and autumn.
Origin and Habitat
This species is in nature limited to the South/western Cape Province of South Africa.
Habitat: From winter rainfall area.
Cultivation and Propagation
Together with Stapelia gigantea and Orbea variegata, probably the most widely cultivated of stapeliads. It is an easy obliging blooming plant when mature, they are happy in any average succulent house.
Stapelia require moderately watering through the growing season but enjoy plenty of water and some fertiliser in hot weather, this helps them to flower freely. Water more sparingly in winter according to temperatures. But, as with most asclepiads, it is unwise to leave them wet in cold weather. Winter care presents no problems at 5°C with plenty of light. Since roots are quite shallow, use a cactus mix or add extra perlite or pumice to regular soil potting soil. A gritty, very free-draining compost is suitable, and clay pots help the plants to dry out between watering.
Sun Exposure: Partial sun or light shade
Pest and diseases: Stapelia species vary in their susceptibility to rotting, but are generally fairly easy to grow, especially if kept pest-free. They are very susceptible to stem and root mealy bugs, and damage from these may well initiate fungal attack. If you do have problems with a stem or with basal rotting, you can reliably isolate the healthy parts, dry them off, and re-root them in moist compost.
Cultural Practices: Re-pot every 2 years
Propagation: Easiest with stem cuttings. Allow cuttings to dry a day before planting. Stems must be laid (Not buried) on gritty compost and will then root from the underside of the stems. It can also be increased from seeds sowing in spring in moist, sandy peat moss. Barely cover seeds. Seeds germinate
Notes
S. hirsuta was (along with Stapelia variegata later transferred to the genus Orbea) the second stapeliads to be discovered. Linnaeus then described and set up the the new genus Stapelia in 1737 and based the genus on S. hirsuta that now stands for the type species of the genus.
Bibliography
Major references and further lectures:
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Focke Albers, Ulrich Meve “Illustrated Handbook of Succulent Plants: Asclepiadaceae: Asclepiadaceae” Volume 4 Springer, 2002
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Gideon Smith, Neil R. Crouch “Guide to Succulents of Southern Africa” Struik Nature, 01/nov/2009
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Focke Albers, Ulrich Meve “Illustrated Handbook of Succulent Plants: Asclepiadaceae: Asclepiadaceae” Volume 4 Springer, 2002
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Doreen Court “Succulent Flora of Southern Africa” CRC Press, 01/giu/2000
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Clive Innes “Complete Handbook of Cacti and Succulents” Van Nostrand Reinhold Company, 01/dic/1981
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A.C.White & B.Sloane “Stapelieae” ( White & Sloane) ed. 2 3: 855 Abbey San Encino Press, 1937
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Luckhoff “The Stapelieae of Southern Africa” Capetown, A.A. Balkema 1952
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Bruyns, P.V. 2005. “Stapeliads of southern Africa and Madagascar.” Vol. II. Umdaus Press, Hatfield.
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James Cullen, Sabina G. Knees, H. Suzanne Cubey “The European Garden Flora Flowering Plants: A Manual for the Identification of Plants Cultivated in Europe, Both Out-of-Doors and Under Glass” Cambridge University Press, 11/ago/2011
From llifle page Gonostemon asterias
Description
Stapelia asterias is a tufted cactus-like mat-forming plant with large and showy star-fish shaped flowers. Stapelia asterias is a very variable species with many hybrids both in the wild and in cultivation. This specie meets and intergrade with Stapelia grandiflora in the little Karoo and the two (quite similar) species can be separated by its thinner pedicel.
Habit: It is a relatively large, perennial, stem succulent that can form large compact clusters up to 40 cm in diameter (or more).
Stems: Erect or ascending 10-25 cm tall 1,4-2 cm in diameter. Soft, minutely downy, pale green or reddish with upright hooked tubercles and remnants of rudimentary leaves down the ridges. Stems are clavate, attenuated, four cornered lengthwise, a factor which allows expansion and contraction to compensate without harm for any excess or shortness of fluids inside; hence they may appear flat- or sunken-sided according to the availability of water. This is the “succulence” and a storehouse for nutrients, which are crucial to their survival in harsh, xeric habitats.
Flower: Blooms 1-5 per head produced from the base on younger shoots, wide star fish-shaped, Pedicels 3-7 cm long, 4-5 mm in diameter, thickened at the base about the length of the corolla. Corolla width very variable, usually 7-11 cm across, very deeply lobed. Limb shallowly concave. Corolla segments ovate acuminate, wrinkled, revolule, reflexed and usually hairless except for long hair at the edge, inside purplish, orange, dark-red, deep brown-purple shiny, sometimes partly tramversely yellow-lined and densely covered by sparse and short purplish hairs, but longer and denser in bands radiating towards lobe-sinuses. Undersides red to greenish. Outer corona-lobes more or less oblong, approx 5 mm; inner corona-lobes 6-7 min high, inner horn erect or somewhat recurved, awl-shaped. partly or completely united with outer wing. Buds plump peaked that resemble the domes of a Russian Orthodox church. Flowers smell like rotting meat and are very attractive to the flies that pollinate them. Sometimes flies lay eggs on the flower. Larvae that have hatched from the eggs can be seen on the flower.
Fruit: Flies pollinate the flowers resulting in the typical twin seed horns (follicles), which are decorative in themselves and often don’t appear until a year later.
Blooming season: Flowers are intermittently produced throughout the late summer and autumn.
Origin and Habitat
Native of the deserts of southern Africa
Cultivation and Propagation
Stapelia asterias is an easy obliging blooming plant when mature, which is happy in any average succulent house.
Soil: Since roots are quite shallow, use a cactus mix or add extra perlite or pumice to regular soil potting soil. A gritty, very free-draining compost is suitable, and clay pots help the plants to dry out between watering.
Watering: Stapelia require moderately watering through the growing season but enjoy plenty of water and some fertiliser in hot weather, this helps them to flower freely. Water more sparingly in winter according to temperatures. But, as with most asclepiads, it is unwise to leave them wet in cold weather.
Hardiness: Winter care presents no problems at 5°C with plenty of light.
Sun Exposure: Partial sun or light shade.
Pest and diseases: Stapelia species vary in their susceptibility to rotting, but are generally fairly easy to grow, especially if kept pest-free. They are very susceptible to stem and root mealy bugs, and damage from these may well initiate fungal attack. If you do have problems with a stem or with basal rotting, you can reliably isolate the healthy parts, dry them off, and re-root them in moist compost.
Cultural Practices: Re-pot every 2 years.
Propagation: Easiest with stem cuttings. Allow cuttings to dry a day before planting. Stems must be laid (Not buried) on gritty compost and will then root from the underside of the stems. It can also be increased from seeds sowing in spring in moist, sandy peat moss. Barely cover seeds.
Bibliography
Major references and further lectures
-
George Don “A General System of Gardening and Botany” Rivington, 1838
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White & Sloane. “The Stapelieae” edn 2. Abbey San Encino Press, 1937
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“Encyclopaedia Londinensis, or, Universal dictionary of arts, sciences, and literature” Volume 23 1828
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James Cullen, Sabina G. Knees, H. Suzanne Cubey “The European Garden Flora Flowering Plants: A Manual for the Identification of Plants Cultivated in Europe, Both Out-of-Doors and Under Glass” Cambridge University Press, 11/Aug/2011
-
Carl August Lückhoff “The stapelieae of Southern Africa” A. A. Balkema, 1952
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Doreen Court “Succulent Flora of Southern Africa” A.A. Balkema, 2000
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Hermann Jacobsen “A handbook of succulent plants: descriptions, synonyms, and cultural details for succulents other than Cactaceae”, Volume 1 Blandford Press, 1960
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Alison Heath, Roger Heath “Field guide to the plants of northern Botswana, including the Okavango Delta: useful in countries and geographical areas adjacent to northern Botswana in the Zambesi Basin” Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, 15/Jun/2010
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Bruyns, P.V. “Stapeliads of Southern Africa and Madagascar” Volume I Umdaus Press, Hatfield, South Africa Pages 257 - 259 2005
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Golding, J.S. “Southern African Plant Red Data Lists.” Southern African Botanical Diversity Network Report No. 14. SABONET. Pretoria. Page 162. (ed.) 2002
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Mapaura, A & Timberlake, J. “A checklist of Zimbabwean vascular plants” Southern African Botanical Diversity Network Report No. 33 Sabonet, Pretoria and Harare Page 21. (eds) 2004
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Focke Albers und Ulli Meve (Hrsg.): “Sukkulenten-Lexikon” Volume 3 Asclepiadaceae” Ulmer, Stuttgart 2002
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George Don “A General System of Gardening and Botany” Rivington, 1838
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Leach, L. C. “A revision of Stapelia” L. Excelsa Taxon. Ser. 3: 1–157 198514)
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John Sims “Curtis’s Botanical Magazine” - Volums 15-16 - Page 536 1801
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Yvonne Cave “Succulents for the contemporary garden” 2003
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Sajeva, Maurizio and Costanzo, Mariangela. “Succulents: The Illustrated Dictionary” Portland, Ore.: Timber Press, 1994.
Source: Gonostemon asterias, LLIFLE - Encyclopedia of living forms, CC-BY-SA, retrieved 2026-10-25.
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