AKA Stapelia gigantea (the more commonly-used synonym, I believe). Nice plant, complete with carrion-smell-loving flies - what's not to like?

thanks for correcting my id, I seem to be having a very hard time getting these id's right, but I must tell you I get them all from the internet and check up to six sites before I decide what plant it is..I've got at least 10 more blooms to go

Those enormous flowers are gorgeous in a putrid kinda way, aren't they? When I had a large Stapelia endowed with many buds decide to bloom pretty much all at once, it took every bit of my powers of coercion to get a couple of students to move the plant from the greenhouse to outside....ANYWHERE but the greenhouse.

Those blue bottle flies sure don't waste any time, do they? Yuk. I managed to talk my secretary, with her long, painted fingernails and shiny jewelry, to be my "hand model " in some close-up shots. Nice touch, don't you think?

Thanks for posting this....it really is a favorite of mine.

Mine have been blooming on and off for few weeks. This summer I made sure I moved them out of the greenhouse before they bloomed. I had about 6 flowers open at the same time last summer and I couldn't walk into the greenhouse without holding my breath. That was the only time I was happy the GH was full of ants because they ate all the maggots (white things in pic) that hatched in the flowers, gross!
{{gwi:103583}}

yes, very putrid..I guess I could cut the buds off, what do you think rhizo and karyn, will it harm the plant in any way..I think its beautiful without the flowers.

Hey PMM,

Just wanted to share that when it comes to IDing Stapeliads & their ilk, you'd do well to check out Dr. Barad & related site Stapeliads, Orchids of the Succulent World. Sorry I don't know to provide a link, but should you have choices of ID, you'd do well to rely on his.

If you already know about him & his site, well then to quote the late Gilda Radner as Emily Latella 'nevermind'.

Forgot to say, that really is an amazing bloom you've got there, congratulations indeed!

karyn,

Great shot!

pm,

It's by no means the most putrid - there are lots more foul-smelling ones, and there are some (such as in the link) that are odder than most succulent milkweeds (Asclepiads) - check the link for one.

Here is a link that might be useful: Viper's Head

Another link to splendid lithos-like plants

Here is a link that might be useful: Pseudo Danish

Plantmast, you will do the plant absolutely no harm by removing the buds. Just do so cleanly with a sharp implement.

It doesn't harm the plant to remove the flowers but I actually like them, even with the smell and maggots. I love that Viper's Head. I was so upset that I lost my Pseudolithos migiurtinus last month. A slug or maybe a snail ate a hole and rot set in.

My Stapelia is one of the few reliable bloomers I possess. I certainly would not remove the blooms...but mine is a different species...S.gettleffii.

Christopher

Very pretty!! Congrats! :)

Very nice..love that bloom