| stapelia | <botany> An extensive and curious genus of African plants of the natural order Asclepiadaceae (Milkweed family). They are succulent plants without leaves, frequently covered with dark tubercles giving them a very grotesque appearance. The odour of the blossoms is like that of carrion. Origin: NL. So named after John Bodaeus a Stapel, a physician of Amsterdam. Source: Websters Dictionary (01 Mar 1998) |
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