stapelia Meaning, Definition & Usage

  1. noun any of various plants of the genus Stapelia having succulent leafless toothed stems resembling cacti and large foul-smelling (often star-shaped) flowers
    carrion flower; starfish flower.

WordNet

Sta*pe"li*a noun
Etymology
NL. So named after John Bodæus a Stapel, a physician of Amsterdam.
Definitions
  1. (Bot.) An extensive and curious genus of African plants of the natural order Asclepiadaceæ (Milkweed family). They are succulent plants without leaves, frequently covered with dark tubercles giving them a very grotesque appearance. The odor of the blossoms is like that of carrion.

Webster 1913