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Bizarre and lovely combination of colours
(Pink form)
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 The corona (Crown) is a
characteristic androecial derived structure found in
Asclepiadaceae flowers of variable form, colour and dimension ,
which is incorporated in the
gynostegium
(a complex fusion-product of androecium and gynoecium).
The
corona typically consists of inner and outer lobes.
Inner corona: Usually the inner corona parts are inclined
against the staminal column (a structure formed by the fusion
of the stamens).
Outer corona: Outer corona lobes lie flat in the
base of corolla or they are budged away from the column. They
can be larger than the inner one or so reduced that they can’t
even be found.
The unique and complex structures of corona and
gynostegium are
extremely elaborated and very dissimilar in different genera
and species (Eventually
variously keeled, horned and/or shaped ) and they
are the most important factor for Asclepiadaceae classification. |
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Family:
Asclepiadaceae (Apocynaceae)
(Milkweeds
family)
Scientific Name:
Stapelia
flavopurpurea
Distribution:
From Namibia, Botswana and the Northern Cape of South
Africa.
Etymology:
The
genus
epithet
"Stapelia"
was named
in honour of Johannes van Stapel, who published drawings and
descriptions of the first Stapeliae discovered (Orbea
variegata)The
species name
"flavopurpurea" derives
from
the
Latin words
“flavus” meaning "yellow
” and
“purpureus
”
meaning "purple”
(The specific name implies: “Yellow and
purple coloured”)
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Morphology (Identifying
Characteristics)
Habit:
Crawling and
decumbent.
Stem:
Long,
green that acquire a purple colour when are
exposed in
full
sun.
Flower:
Tiny little
star
shaped, have very great colour: yellow, green. orange, or
purple, white, with maroon overtones and centres. The combination of
colours is quite bizarre and lovely, very variable, even on the same
plant; they have a light sweet
smell
like liquorice, unusual in the
Stapelia group. Flowers with these scents may well be
pollinated by bee.
Phenology:
Blossoming generally occurs in
summer
or
autumn, according to the
temperatures.
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Tiny
stellate flowers (Yellow form)
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Cultivation:
It needs regular watering, especially
abundant during the hottest
summer day,
waterings will begin at the first signs of vegetation and could be
stopped in autumn,
either excessive and very scarce watering can induce
rot.
It resists temperatures approaching of 0° C
(under good conditions), but it is more cautious to provide it a
minimum of 8 to 10°C.
It take a great advantaged if
grown in very strong light but
does not have to be in
full sun during the hottest hours. Keep the plant in a
ventilated and
dry
environments. The
potting mix
must be drained but nutrient.
The main problems is to avoid the
“black spots” disease and other
rots
which can in a very short time destroy the plants.
If
rots
starts the plant will
almost inevitably die.
Propagation:
The multiplication is easy: Take away a fresh
stem,
let
dry the cut surface, then put it out of ground, simply posed
on the
substrate in
semi-shade. |
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Cultivation and Mail Sale 
