Huernia formosa	Stapelia glanduliflora

Carrion flowers are called that because they attract flies (and a few other kinds of insects) to act as pollinators for them – and they do this by looking or smelling like dead animals! But in most species, they don't smell intolerably bad. They don't eat the insects. . . but flies often lay eggs on them, which hatch to the detriment of the maggots, who die for lack of food. The plants have succulent stems, and the flowers, too, often are quite fleshy. They're mostly quite small plants that grow in dry regions, even in harsh deserts. A few species grow in moister places, such as in the understory of open forests, or on mountain slopes amidst grassland, in shallow or rocky soil. The majority of species are indigenous to South Africa, but there are also many in Northeast Africa, the Arabian Peninsula, India and Southeast Asia.

Orbea doldii	Stapelia cedrimontana

Huernia longii

These carrion flowers are in a big collection curated by folks here in Polokwane. The collection was basically the life's work of Bert Polling, who passed away recently.

Duvalia pillansii	Orbea abayensis

Willem

07.04.25 Front Page

Back Issue Page