Stapelia, Linn.; Benth. et Hook. f. Gen. Plant. vol. ii. p. 784.
Stapelia Pillansii, N. E. Br., var. attenuata, N. E. Br. in Fl. Cap. vol. iv. sect. i. p. 958.
This interesting Stapelia was first discovered by Mr. N. S. Pillans, of Cape Town, at Witte Poort in the Laingsburg Division, and described by Mr. N. E. Brown, to whom Mr. Pillans sent most of his collections of this group. Our plant is one of the larger-flowered species of the genus, resembling in this respect S. gigantea and S. nobilis, but differing in colour from both these species. The flowers have a distinct carrion-like odour, although this is not so strong as in many other species of the genus. When in bud the petals form an acuminate beak recurved at the apex. Under cultivation in the greenhouse the stems turn a dark reddish-brown colour.
Our specimen was collected by Dr. I. B. Pole Evans at Laingsburg, and flowered at the Division of Botany, Pretoria, in October, 1921. (National Herbarium, Pretoria, Herb. No. 1492.)
Description:—Stems 9-15 cm. high, 1·4-2·2 cm. in diameter, 4-angled and with concave sides, pubescent, usually green. Teeth with erect whitish rudimentary leaves about 2 mm. long. Flowers 2 (4 or 5 according to Brown) from near the base of the stems. Pedicels 3-4 cm. long, terete, pubescent. Sepals 1·7 cm. long, 2 mm. broad at the base, linear-lanceolate, acuminate, acute, pubescent. Corolla when expanded 22·5 cm. in diameter, diamine-brown above, smooth and without markings, glabrous; lobes 10·5 cm. long, 2·2 cm. broad at the base, ovate, tapering to a long point, strongly revolute, ciliate with short hairs and with longer vibratile hairs. Corona dark coloured; outer corona lobes 4 mm. long, 2 mm. broad, oblong, bluntly 3-lobed at the apex; the middle lobe the largest; inner corona-lobes 7 mm. long, 3 mm. broad, obovate, flattened and appearing to stand at right angles to the outer lobes, on either edge produced into a beak; the inner beak longer than the outer and recurved over the flattened portion of the corona; the outer beak entire or irregularly 2-3-lobed.
Plate 72.—Fig. 1, corona; Fig. 2, lobe of inner corona; Fig. 3, lobe of outer corona.
F.P.S.A., 1922.