Stapelia: cactus or not, whether it is a poisonous plant, as well as a description of the species of Stapelia with a photo and flower care at home

Stapelia is a perennial succulent plant with fleshy shoots and surprisingly beautiful flowers. Because of the shape of the flowers, similar to a motley star.

Stapelia is a surprisingly beautiful flower that is suitable for growing at home. The plant is easy to care for and interesting flowering, but the stapelia has one repulsive ability - an unpleasant odor. It was this contrast of beauty and aroma that attracted many gardeners to this miracle of nature. This article will tell about this.

Description

Stapelia belongs to the Dovnevy family, the genus of perennial succulents. In total there are about 100 types of decorative culture. It grows in the south, south-west of Africa. Her favorite places are near ponds, under trees, on the slopes of the mountains.

Stapelia got its name in honor of Van Stapel - a famous Dutch doctor of the 17th century.

Stapelia is a succulent, whose height reaches 10-60 cm. Its numerous stems are juicy and tetrahedral, branching at the base. It is the edges that adorn the sharp teeth. Shoots are green or bluish in color, and under the influence of sunlight, their color may change to red-violet, while the leaves of the culture are absent.

The flowers resemble starfish in appearance, they are omitted and arranged in pairs on bent pedicels. The size of the flowers is 5-30 cm, they are located not at the top, but at the base of the shoots. Depending on the type of plant, flowers can have a motley or plain color, and also a specific fetid odor.

Is it a cactus or not?

Quite often, a slipway is confused with a cactus due to sharp teeth on the leaves. But actually the plant has nothing to do with cacti. Stapelia is a succulent belonging to the Dovnevy family. But the cactus is a family of perennial flowering plants of the order Carnation.

Is Stapelia Poisonous?

Stapelia shoots contain milky juice, which is poisonous to insects. As for a person, only irritation of the mucous membranes can occur in him.

It is better to keep the flower away from young children, as they have the ability to taste everything. If the baby had time to eat a piece of the plant, then his stomach will begin to hurt, nausea is possible. Parents should show the child to specialists as soon as possible. Adults must always wear gloves when working with the plant.

Types of flower with photo

Stapelia has about 100 plant species. Among the types of slipway, the following types are in special demand.

Star-shaped

The plant is not tall, 20 cm. It has green stems that can change their shade in the sun to red. The flowers are dark red with small yellow lines. They are located on long peduncles that arise from the base of the stems.

Giant

The bush grows to a mark of 20 cm. The plant got its name thanks to the huge flowers, the size of which is 35 cm. Their color is pale yellow, and they are covered with pink villi. This type of stapelia does not have such a nasty smell as other representatives of the culture.

Motley

Variegated stapelia is a low bush growing to 10 cm. The stems are green, a little cast in red. The flowers are yellow, have dark spots, and on one side are covered with villi.

Ferruginous

Its height reaches 15 cm. The plant forms a compact bush, consisting of green leafless shoots, directed upwards. The flowers are green, covered with white hairs.

Golden purple

Golden-purple stapelia presented in the form of a low bush. The bush consists of green stems, which in the sun change their color to purple.

The flowers of the golden-purple stapelia are rather unusual, since they have thin green petals, and inside there is a pink fluffy lump.

The aroma of flowers resembles wax, making it twice as pleasant to grow a plant.

Large flowered

Compared to other species, this plant has shoots not with 2, but with 3 faces. Large-flowered stapelia are distinguished by lanceolate petals. The color of the flowers is pale yellow, and the surface is covered with a pile of purple hue.

Changeable

Her stems reach a height of 15 cm. The color of the petals on the flowers is light green, and dark spots are scattered on their surface.

Home Care

When growing stapelia at home, it is necessary to adhere to some recommendations:

Lighting. The plant is photophilous, so it is necessary to provide it with bright, but at the same time diffused light. To keep a flower on a window of east or west direction. On the south side, grow a slipway only with shading in the daytime.With prolonged exposure to direct sunlight, burns form on the leaves.
Temperature. In summer, keep the flower at a temperature of 22-26 degrees. You can take it to the balcony, just make sure that direct sunlight does not fall. Spring and autumn are the time of rest of the plant. And in winter, maintain the temperature within 12-16 degrees.
Soil and transplant. For the growth of stocks suitable substrate with a high content of sand. You can take the finished soil for cacti, only make a mixture of sand and turf soil, taken in a ratio of 1: 2. For planting, use a shallow capacity, since the root system of the plant does not grow much. Lay a layer of small pebbles on the bottom. This is a drainage that will fill the pot 1/3. After planting for several days, do not water the plant.
Watering. With excess moisture, there is a risk of developing fungi and rot, so that moisture should be moderate. In spring and summer, during the development of new shoots and flowering, water the slipway regularly, but not too abundantly on a dried-out earth layer.
With the onset of spring, reduce the frequency and volume of humidification to 2 times a month, and rarely water the soil in winter - 1 time per month. If the winter is warm, then you have to water 3-4 times a month.
Top dressing. To fertilize the soil, a complex mixture for cacti is suitable. It is necessary to fertilize during the period of growth and flowering - in spring and summer, 2 times a month. Comprehensive fertilizers for home gardening are also suitable. But these compositions need to be prepared at a lower concentration, reducing the dosage specified in the instructions by 2–3 times. It is extremely useful to add potassium, as it increases resistance to rot.

Stapelia is a very beautiful home plant, which, with proper care, will delight with its abundant and original flowering. A wide variety of species of this culture will allow each grower to create a mini flower garden in his apartment. Just choose for this those types of stocks that do not emit too nasty smell.