STAPELIA 



drcraus, 8 (1844), describes _8» species, and makes 

 references to several more, ihe stapelias are usually 

 grown with greenhouse succulents, both for the great 

 odd4ty 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 Me 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 Echidnopsis. 

 Several other species are likely to be found in fan- 

 ciers' collections. 

 A. Corona formed onl\j of the cohering anthers. Echid- 



cylindrica, Hort. This is properly Echidndpsis cerei- 

 f&rmis. 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 % in. 

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

 habitat unknown. B.M. 5930. 



AA. Corona ivith scales. 

 B. Fls. pale yelloiv, about 1 ft. across. 



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

 known, and one of the largest and odde.st 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." Zulula 

 M. 7068. G.C. II. 7:693; III. 4:729. G.P. 8:515 

 requirements of S. gigantea," WaXson 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." 



BE. Fls. yellow, S in. or less acrof,s. 



variegita, 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. E.H. 1857, p. 43. -An 

 old garden plant, still seen in collections, often under 

 the name S. Curtisii. 



BB. Fls. purple, 6 in. or less across. 



grandilldra, 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. 



glabriidlia, N. E. Br. (S. grandiflOra. var. minor, 

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



-"Thc 



ments becomii 

 yellowish wlii 

 S. Aslirias •• 

 angled, mosi 1\ 

 spreading ^t.■lt 

 verse yelkiwi-l. 



STAPHYLEA 



,'lv rt'fli'xed, dull purple-red with 



i;.c 11. (;:sii:i. 



' I >warf : branches 4- 



t nr 5 in. across, with 

 .1 purple with trans- 



I ' III (..:',- Offered by Blanc. 

 l»9:i. — .s- y;:i/r.„,v, Mm, > im -i in,- 1 ;v -\. nuniiillis. Jacq. 



glaltr.iil^: li ■_'-:: HI ;icr<isv, \mi1i n\ ;.tf;icutr v,.;.r,ii,.nt.s, yellow 



not .ippear in the American trade.— &'. Pldntli, Hort. Stems 

 stout and erect, strongly 4-augIed, 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; A', ajiffwfncn, Jaeq. {properly S. picta. 

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

 ous rufous spots; theorb or circle is marked with laree-spots 

 of two forms, dark brown, yellow."— A', defhrlu (S. dcMc^a. 

 JacQ.?); "Only about 2 in. across, the colur ;:i i i n ^ ! piK- 

 red, deeply wrinkled." — S.planifldra, J&ai. ' i 

 roUa spreading, sulfur -yellow, lined and ^i- i i 1^ 



purple."— A'.reBoiKta, Mass.: "Distinct flow. 1 i 



ish blotches, smooth, very fleshy, and will] Iim, -I m 1 1 ;_•: ti~ " 

 —S. rUfa, 'Ma.ss.: "The flowers are of an oliscure violet rolor. 

 variegated with deep purple and pale red transverse stripes, 

 the margins edged with dark violet hairs."— .S. 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^ jj^ g^ 



;:r\ 



2392. Stapelia erandiflora (X 1-5). 



STAFHTL£A (Greek, staphyle, cluster; referring to 

 the inflorescence). Celastrdcew. Bladder Not. Orna- 

 mental deciduous shrubs, with opposite, stipulate odd- 

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

 minal, usually nodding panicles fcillnwed bv capsular 

 bladiler-like fruits. The speoi.-s :ire !iU inhabitants of 

 temperate regions, and S. tnfolia. S. liidiialda and 

 S. pinnata are hardy north, while i'. Volthica 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 <Si. elegans 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: 

 Ivs. and Ifts. stipulate; fls. perfect, 5-merous 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-Iobed, inflated, membranous capsule, 



