It is known that this flower has the scientific name Stapelia gigantea NEBr. It is a species of flowering plant in the family Apocynaceae. This species was identified by NE Br. It was first described scientifically in 1877. Other common names are Zulu giant, carrion plant and toad plant. It is native to the desert regions of South Africa to Tanzania. The name “carrion plant” is also used to refer to the species Stapelia grandiflora. The stem is about 20 cm low, succulent green and about 3 cm thick. Huge flowers with a diameter of up to 25 cm with five large petals are very similar to the shape of a starfish. The flowers are pale yellow or red, wrinkled and hairy, and can be up to 8 mm long. The flowers of this plant bloom in autumn. Rotten starfish floweralso known as rotten flower, giant Zulu flower and scientific name is Stapelia gigantea. This is a fairly large flower, the largest flower is nearly 35cm wide, native to Southeast Africa.

The shape and scent of the flower is just like its name. The appearance of the plant is like a cactus, the stem is also succulent while the flowers are various colors, with 5 petals like a giant star. The petals are thick, tough like animal skin, bringing an irresistible beauty with many outstanding horizontal and vertical lines. Flowers give off the smell of rotting flesh to attract flies to pollinate them. There are several explanations for the unusually large flower size of S. gigantea. First, it is possible that they are large enough to attract pollinators. The largeness and color of the flowers combined with the characteristic rotten smell creates the illusion that flies think it is a real corpse and fly to “visit”. Some have also suggested that these large flowers could act as radiators, like the large ears of a Fennec fox (Vulpes zerda- is a nocturnal fox found in the Northern Sahara. The most distinctive feature of the species is its unusually large ears, which serve to dissipate heat. These flowers have the stench of rotting vegetation covered with tiny white hairs resembling a feather. The mouth is used to attract flies and to pollinate.

Rotten starfish flower

Another form of Rotten Starfish