Carrion Plant

Someone gave me a house plant several years ago and then disappeared without IDing it. It didn't seem too remarkable until it bloomed. The flowers are huge and closely resemble a starfish. They're kind of dull yellow with a network of raised purple lines. But the weirdest part is the smell! It's exactly like a carcass that's been dead four or five days. You can smell it ten feet away. It's a succulent which grows like a vine. A piece broke off last spring, and I put it in the ground outside, in full sunlight. It's thriving there and bloomed fairly fast. My husband conjectures that it attracts flies for pollination. We wonder if it's some kind of fly trap, but haven't seen any signs that it's killed anything. Does anyone know what this strange thing is? Les

Reply to
Digger
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Sounds like a Stapelia, maybe gigantica.

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plant is a good name for them. They attract flies for pollination, but they don't trap the flies. the flies lay eggs, but the eggs starve when they hatch.

Reply to
Charles

Stapelia. Search Google Images on this genus name, or use the following link:

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Reply to
maxsilverstar

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