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Stapelia plants are well-known for their large, intricate flowers festooned with hairs and strange markings. Some resemble open wounds; some resemble the anus of large animals, and some look like rotting carcasses (this species, S. grandiflora, is sometimes called the carrion flower) -- and they emit odors consistent with their appearance. These noxious (to us) smells attract pollinators, like this brilliant green fly you can see in the center of the blossom (a close-up view of one of these flies is here). I took the picture on the campus of the University of California, Riverside. |
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