Stapelia getliffei R. Pott

gettliffei: named after G.F.R. Gettliffe (1873-1948), water driller and farmer from the Transvaal, who collected the type

Procumbent succulent perennial. Stems 4-angled, decumbent-ascending, narrow at the base, green to greyish green, softly pubescent. Leaves conspicuous, erect or incurved on the tubercle teeth along the angles, densely pubescent, up to 11 mm. Flowers opening in succession on a shortly pedunculate cyme from the base of the stem. Corolla flat and wheel-shaped 50-80 mm in diameter, deeply lobed, limb with dense long, pale purple hairs. Lobes narrowly elliptic, acute, variable in colour from pale to deep purple along the margins and apex and finely wrinkled with transverse purple lines on creamy yellow, rarely all creamy yellow; margins ciliate with dense long purple hairs. Corona dark purple, outer lobes erect-spreading, c. 5 mm with short bristly hairs at the apex; inner lobes with an erect horn c. 12 mm.

Botswana, Mozambique, S Africa, Zimbabwe