Unusual flower stapelia - a native of South Africa, attracts the attention of flower growers with its exotic look. This is a perennial plant, succulent. Because of its ability to store moisture for a long time, it is considered unpretentious to care. It grows up to 60 cm in height, flowers - up to 30 cm in diameter. Leaves at the stocks are not, and on the stems you can see small not sharp cloves. In addition to its unusual appearance, it has an unusual smell. Stapelia smell of rot, which in addition attracts flies. Therefore, it is better not to keep it in residential premises. In nature, there are about a hundred types of stocks — each is interesting in its own way. In this article we will look at some of them.
Hairy
Hairy it is named because of the greatest density of the villi. It grows no more than 20 cm in length. 
Coloring is usually light, with a violet core and purple hairs, however there are varieties with a bright red color.
Important! At home, the flowers of the stocks just grow no more than 12 cm in diameter.
Giant
This is the largest view. Gardeners giant stapelia, or stapelia gigantea, are attracted by the fact that it grows quite well into the bush, dissolves large buds. 
Flowers in diameter reach a record 35 cm. During flowering it smells of rotting meat. And in the natural environment can form whole colonies larger than 2 meters in diameter.
Did you know? The unpleasant smell of the slipway was formed in the process of evolution, since only flies flying to rot could spread the pollen in the desert.
Glandular flower
The flowers of the glandular flower stocks are small, about 5 cm, greenish-yellow with many pale translucent pin-shaped villi. 
On the petals you can see a scattering of pale pink stripes. It is quite small - an average of 15 cm in height.
Important! Stapelia depending on the type and conditions blooms from 3 to 5 days.
Star-shaped
This view is most reminiscent of the starfish. The petals of the star-shaped stocks are elongated, triangular in shape, sharply excised, with a large number of white hairs along the edges. 
Usually it is brown or red. The star-shaped stapelia are also not very large - only 15 cm in height.
Familiarize also with other species of plants included in the group of succulent plants: hatiora, kalanchoe, aloe, havortia, aihrizone, agave, cholstyanka, echeveria, nolin, litops.
Golden purple
Petals are green, purple is very rare. Unlike their relatives, the golden-purple stapelia has practically no pubescence. 
The flowers are small, wrinkled, with stripes of yellow or purple.
Important! This type differs from others in that it has a rather pleasant smell, something resembling the smell of wax.
Large-flowered
Stapelia grandiflora, also known as stapelia grandiflora, is distinguished by large, rarely located petals with dense pubescence. 
The flower is strongly curved, usually flat, has a purple top and a bluish bottom color. Stapelia grandiflora is considered one of the largest representatives of this species.
Mutable
It has bare shoots up to 15 cm in length, the rim in diameter reaches 7 cm. The petals are yellow-green, with stripes and dots of claret color. Along the edges you can see hairs. 
Did you know? Because of the teeth on the stems, the slipway is mistakenly called a cactus. In fact, it is not a cactus, and the small external similarity is explained by the same habitat.
Variegated or variable
Stapelia variegated was transferred to a separate genus Orbey. The corolla is approximately 8 cm in diameter. 
Outside, the petals are smooth, wrinkled inside. Color yellow with brown spots or stripes.
To create a cozy atmosphere in the house, try planting Monstera, Dieffenbachia, Spathiphyllum, Violet, Benjamin Ficus, Chlorophytum.
Standing light
At first glance, it may seem that her appearance is plain, but this opinion is deceptive. The corolla is covered with many small white lint, has a bright central star. 
Petals strongly bent. Corolla width more than length. Stems thin and barely reach 15 cm.
Important! A standing light stapelia may bloom from 8 to 14 days.Staples look very attractive and unusual. And even the unbearable smell when flowering can not scare away some gardeners.
But if you really do not want to feel unpleasant aromas, but you really liked the look of the plant, then you can get a neutral-smelling golden-purple or standing light stape.
