STAPELIA 



STAPHYLEA 



1717 



droraus, 8 (1844), describes 89 species, and makes 

 references to several more. The Stapelias are usually 

 grown with greenhouse succulents, both for the great 

 oddity of their forms and for the singular and often 

 large, showy flowers. The plants are leafless. The 

 strongly angled usually 4-sided green branches or 

 stems are generally more or less covered with tubercles 

 and excrescences. The flowers commonly arise from the 

 angles and notches of the stems, apparently in no regu- 

 larity, and they are usually grotesquely barred and 

 mottled with dark or dull colors. They generally emit 

 a strong and carrion-like odor. The calyx and corolla 

 are 5-parted; corolla-segments spreading and usually 

 narrow, usually fleshy, mostly purple or marbled, in 

 some species pale; crown comprising 2 series of scales 

 or bracts, of which the inner are narrower, each series 

 in 5's but the scales sometimes lobed or bifid: fr. of 2 

 follicles, containing comose seeds. Some of the species 

 have flowers several inches across, although the plants 

 themselves are relatively small; in fact, the flowers of 

 S. gigantea are a foot across. 



The Stapelias are easy of cultivation. Most of the 

 species demand the treatment given to Cape Euphorbias 

 and to cacti, — a light, airy, rather dry position during 

 the growing and blooming seasons and a soil made por- 

 ous with rubble. They are mostly summer and fall 

 bloomers. They should remain dormant in winter. 

 Propagated easily by cuttings. They do best, however, 

 when not grown so dry as cacti are grown. 



The Stapelias are known in cultivation mostly in bo- 

 tanic gardens and in the collections of amateurs. Only 

 5 names now occur in the American trade, and one 

 of these belongs properly in the genus Eehidnopsis. 

 Several other species are likely to be found in fan- 

 ciers' collections. 



A. Corona formed only of the cohering anthers, Eehid- 

 nopsis. 

 cylindrica, Hort. This is properly Eehidn6psis cerei- 

 fdrmis. Hook, f., omitted from Vol. II, but known in the 

 trade as a Stapelia: stems cylindrical, tufted, 1-2 ft. 

 long, becoming recurved or pendulous at the ends, % in. 

 or less thick, nearly or quite simple, 8-grooved and 

 marked by shallow transverse depressions : fls. aris- 

 ing from furrows in the stem, small (about H in. 

 across), yellow, sessile. Probably South African, but 

 habitat unknown. B.M. 5930. 



aa. Corona with scales. 

 b. Els. pale yellow, about 1 ft. across. 

 gigantea, N.E. Br. The largest and finest species yet 

 known, and one of the largest and oddest of flowers: 

 branches many, usually less than 1 ft. long, obtusely 4- 

 angled: as described by W. Watson, "the flowers are a 

 foot in diameter, leathery-like in texture, the surface 

 wrinkled and the color pale yellow, with red-brown 

 transverse lines and covered with very fine silky pur- 

 plish hairs; each flower lasts two or three days, and on 

 first opening emits a disagreeable odor." Zululand. B. 

 M. 7068. G.C. II. 7:693; III. 4:729. G.F. 8:515.-«The 

 requirements of 8. gigantea," Watson writes, "are some- 

 what exceptional. It thrives only when grown in a hot, 

 moist stove from April till September, when the growth 

 matures and the flower-buds show. It should then be 

 hung up or placed upon a shelf near the roof-glass in a 

 sunny dry position in the stove." 



bb. Fls. yellow, 3 in. or less across. 

 variegata, Linn. (S. Curtisii, Schult.). About 1 ft. 

 tall, with 4-angled sharply toothed stems: fls. solitary, 

 sulfur-yellow, the lobes ovate-acute and transversely 

 spotted with blood-red. B.M. 26. R.H. 1857, p. 43.— An 

 old garden plant, still seen in collections, often under 

 the name S. Curtisii. 



bb. Els. purple, 6 in. or less across. 



grandifldra, Mass. Fig. 2392. About 1 ft. tall, gray- 

 pubescent, the branches 4-wing-angled and toothed: fls. 

 4 or 5 in. across, dark purple with a lighter shade on the 

 segments, striped or marked with white, hairy. R.H. 

 1858, p. 154. — An old garden plant. 



glabrifdlia, N. E. Br. (S. grandifldra. var. minor, 

 Hort.). Pis. somewhat small and not hairy, the seg- 



ments becoming strongly retiexed, dull purple-red with 

 yellowish white lines. G.C. II. 6:809. 



S. Asterias, Mass. Starfish Flower. Dwarf: branches 4- 

 angled, mostly curved, sharp-toothed: fl. 4 or 5 in. across, with 

 spreading star-like ciliate segments, violet - purple with trans- 

 verse yellowish bars. B.M. 536. L.B.C.5:453. Offered by Blanc, 

 1893. — S. Bufdnis, Sims = S. normalis.— <S. normalis, Jacq. 

 About 6-8 in.: branches 4-angled, with large, spreading teeth, 

 glabrous: fl. 2-3 in. across, with ovale acute segments, yellow 

 with transverse marking of red-purple. B.M. 1676. Gn. 52, p. 

 186. One of the commonest of the old kinds, but the name does 

 not appear in the American trade.— A'. Pldntii, Hort. Stems 

 stout and erect, strongly 4-angled, sinuate -toothed and with 

 indexed points: fl. about 5 in. across, hairy, brown barred with 

 yellow, the margins of the segments brown-purple. B.M. 5692. 

 F.S. 19:2012. 



In 1893, Blanc catalogued the following names, in addition to 

 some of those above : S. anguinea, Jacq. (properly S. picta, 

 Donn): "Fls. glabrous; corolla yellow, marked with numer- 

 ous rufous spots; the orb or circle is marked with largespots 

 of two forms, dark brown, yellow."— 8. deftecta (S. deflexa, 

 Jacq.?): "Only about 2 in. across, the color greenish or pale 

 red, deeply wrinkled." — S. planiflbra, Jacq.: "Flower flat; co- 

 rolla spreading, sulfur -yellow, lined and spotted with dark 

 purple."— S. revoluta, Mass.: "Distinct (lowers, red, with whit- 

 ish blotches, smooth, very fleshy, and with fringed margins." 

 — 8. riifa, Mass. : "The flowers are of an obscure violet color, 

 variegated with deep purple and pale red transverse stripes, 

 the margins edged with dark violet hairs."— 8. Tsomoensis. N. 

 E. Br.: "A very rare species from the Tsomo river. Corolla 

 3 in. in diameter, the face entirely dull, smoky purple, darker 

 at the tips of the lobes." L H B 



2392. Stapelia erandiflora (X 1-5). 



STAPHYLEA (Greek, stuphyle, cluster; referring to 

 the inflorescence). Celastr&ceoz. Bladder Nut. Orna- 

 mental deciduous shrubs, with opposite, stipulate odd- 

 pinnate or 3-foliolate leaves and white flowers in ter- 

 minal, usually nodding panicles followed by capsular 

 bladder-like fruits. The species are all inhabitants of 

 temperate regions, and S. trifolia, S. Bumalda and 

 S. pinnata are hardy north, while S. Colchica is hardy 

 at least as far north as Mass.; S. Bolanderi and S. 

 Emodi are more tender and seem not to be in cultiva- 

 tion in this country. They are all desirable shrubs with 

 handsome bright or light green foliage and pretty white 

 flowers in spring. They are well adapted for shrub- 

 beries, but all except S. Bumalda are liable to become 

 bare and unsightly at the base and are therefore not to 

 be recommended for single specimens. S. Colchica and 

 its hybrid S. etegans are perhaps the most beautiful 

 species while in bloom. The former blooms at an early 

 age and is sometimes forced. Staphyleas grow well in 

 almost any kind of soil and position, but do best in a 

 somewhat moist rich soil and partly shaded situation. 

 Prop, by seeds, layers and suckers. Greenwood cut- 

 tings from forced plants root readily. 



Eight species in the temperate regions of the north- 

 ern hemisphere: shrubs, with smooth striped bark: 

 lvs. and lfts. stipulate; fls. perfect, 5-meroui in termi- 

 nal panicles; sepals and petals 5, of about the same 

 length, upright; stamens 5; pistils 2-3, usually connate 

 below: fr. a 2-3-lobed, inflated, membranous capsule, 



