Cactus D

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	"This one grows somewhat prostrate and is highly branched. It has thorns but only small ones that are easy to avoid being impaled on. This one a colleague has seen flower and described theflowers as large, trumpet flowers mostly off-white to yellowish white withpurple/red markings on the throat and an absolutely disgusting odor!"
	From Sean O'Hara, "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 can usually 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!