We discovered it is a Smooth Carrion Flower. Upon looking at the “Green” section of the Petersons Guide, we found a likely candidate on the page showing “6-Part Flowers Lengthwise Leaf Veins – Lily Family (Liliaceae)”. Photo by Kathy Shaw Discovering Smooth Carrion Flower This year, a vine came up in another part of the property that we had recently “released” by cutting down the invasive buckthorn and honeysuckle shrubs that were infesting it. Along with native plants, from jack-in-the-pulpits to lead plant, we were able to observe this vine flowering for the first time. The flowers are in the leaf axils and look like round broccoli florets and actually have small yellow flowers like broccoli, too. It had tendrils like a pea but didn’t actually cling to anything. Unfortunately, it was always nipped by deer or broken before it flowered. The past couple of summers, we have watched a single-stalked vine grow to 5 feet along our driveway. After we have a pretty good idea that we’ve identified the flower, we will search the internet using the Latin name of the plant to find additional pictures and further details from various sources. We can then refer to the descriptions to verify the details like leaf shape, growth habits, and flowering time. Our copy is well thumbed and over 20 years old. We like that it includes both native and alien (think weed) varieties and is arranged by flower color, making it easier to go through the pages of mostly black-and-white sketches to narrow down the search. Renewable Energy News, Blog, & ArticlesĪlthough I consider my husband and myself vegetable gardeners primarily, Pat and I are plant geeks that need to know the names of all flowers we encounter at home or when traveling. We have a backpack full of identification books that we keep handy, but our first choice for plants in the wild for our location is the Peterson Field Guide for Wildflowers: Northeastern/North-central North America.Sustainable Living - Blog, Articles, & Tips.Natural Health - Nutrition Articles & Tips.Tools and Equipment Articles, Stories & News.Homemade Cheese Recipes: Cheese Making Articles.Sustainable Farming & Agriculture Articles.Power Equipment Articles - Lawn and Garden Equipment.Raising Ducks and Geese: Articles & Ideas.Homesteading Poultry - Chicken, Turkey, Ducks Archives.The name " carrion plant" is due to the odor emitted by the flowers as a technique of attracting flies in areas where other pollinating insects are scarce. Flowers are intermittently produced in the late summer and fall seasons. The flowers are velvety and smaller in size than those of Stapelia gigantea, they come in various shapes and colors. The stems can be either erect or ascending 9-10 (-30) cm long and up to 3 cm in diameter (usually less than 2 cm). This plant is a very variable species, with many hybrids. The plant is native to South Africa, including the Northern Cape, Eastern Cape, and Free State. Stapelia grandiflora sometimes also goes by the name of Stapelia flavirostris. This " carrion plant" nickname can also refer to similar Stapelia species as well as members of related genera, including Stapelia gigantea and Orbea variegata. It is commonly referred to as the carrion plant, starfish flower, giant toad plant, or starfish cactus, although it is not related to cacti at all. Stapelia grandiflora is a species of flowering plant in the genus Stapelia of the family Apocynaceae. Gonostemon grandiflorus (Masson) P.V.Heath.
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