cactus flower

[Yvonne G]

Here's a picture of a couple buds on my Stepiliad (a succulent plant sometimes called the Carion Flower Cactus). I've been waiting for it to open so I could take a pic, but got impatient! In a day or two the bud will split down four sides from the stem to the tip and open in the shape of a star. It will SMELL REALLY BA-A-A-A-A-A-D!!

Yvonne

 

[chelonologist]

I've got one of these, too, though my flower buds are much smaller and are just developing. You're right - the flowers smell like rotting flesh when they open! They get pollinated by flies that typically eat and lay their eggs on carion. Pretty interesting adaptation - one of the wonders of evolution.

 

[Jacqui]

Never saw one of those and am looking forward to seeing it fully opened. Does the smell carry as far as normal animal decaying or do you need to be close to the plant? You have so many different types of cactus, my question is just how many do you have?

 

[Yvonne G]

Never saw one of those and am looking forward to seeing it fully opened. Does the smell carry as far as normal animal decaying or do you need to be close to the plant? You have so many different types of cactus, my question is just how many do you have?

The breeze carries the smell pretty far afield. You get a whiff and think, "There's a dead animal someplace...I hope its not a turtle!" Then you remember, oh yeah, the carion flower!

I'll keep checking every morning to try and get a shot of the open flower.

Cactus and succulents were my first love before I got into the time-consuming turtle/tortoise mode. I have a great collection of over 50 types of Euphorbia and about 25 or 30 different types of cactus. Not too many succulents, but every kind of Jade and every kind of Haworthia.

Yvonne