CARRION PLANT PATCH

variegata are visited by the common housefly, Musca domestica and by carrion flies of the genus Sarcophaga in South Africa ( Bruyns, 2002). Flowers are star-shaped, approximately 5-8 cm across and produce a fetid odour similar to dung and carrion that attracts flies, the main pollinators ( Meve and Liede, 1994 Dunbar and Facelli, 1999). Orbea variegata is a self-fertilizing species ( Barad, 1990). variegata has a high risk of becoming invasive in Hawaii and other countries in the Pacific regions ( Chimera, 2015).Ĭhromosome numbers of 2 n = 22 ( Albers and Austmann, 1987) and 2 n = 44 ( Albers et al., 1988) have been reported for O. The Hawai’i Pacific Weed Risk Assessment screening process showed O. Although not available in the nursery trade this species is usually obtained as a gift or through informal sale in South Australia ( Government of South Australia, 2021), allowing some risk of further spread. It is designated a priority weed in New South Wales under the Biosecurity Act 2015 to prevent, eliminate or minimize any biosecurity risk the plant may pose ( Biosecurity South Australia, 2015 Eyre Peninsula Natural Resources Management Board, 2018).

variegata in other parts of Australia has been prevented as it has been declared a pest species under the Natural Resources Management Act 2004, throughout the whole of the state of South Australia, with prohibition of its sale and movement ( Eyre Peninsula Natural Resources Management Board, 2018 Government of South Australia, 2021). variegata as a weed is limited to the semi-arid areas of the Whyalla region ( Government of South Australia, 2021). Spread into shrublands is more likely to occur in years with above average summer rainfall that allows germination and establishment to occur ( Eyre Peninsula Natural Resources Management Board, 2018 Government of South Australia, 2021). It has spread gradually from plantings in towns and settlements with significant populations first noted on the rocky hills within Whyalla. There is evidence that seed viability is low in introduced populations of O. Specimens recorded seem to be in the naturalization phase Widespread in the southwestern Cape, it is found southwards to the hills around Cape Town and along the Cape PeninsulaĬited as Stapelia variegata, in Alicante.

CARRION PLANT PATCH

Corona 8 mm tall, 12-15 mm in diameter, raised above base of tube on a short cylindrical stipe <1 mm tall outer lobes 4-6 mm long, 2 mm wide at base, ascending spreading, linear-oblong narrowing slightly towards 2-3 toothed apex, slightly thicker along centre than towards sides, cream dotted with purple brown (larger purple-brown patch at base under guide-rail) inner lobes 3-4 mm long, pressed to backs of anthers, then rising up connivent-erect in centre and recurved towards tips, dorsiventrally flattened and ovate near base, then narrowing to nearly terete and with club-like apex, with an ascending slightly spreading laterally flattened dorsal horn up to 3-4 mm long below level of anthers, also with the apex clavate-tuberculate, cream dotted with purple-brown. Annulus pentagonal to circular and 18-23 mm in diameter, shallowly bowl-shaped with spreading to recurved and thinner rim, with dense patch of short erect cylindrical bristles in base around gynostegium lobes 16-25 mm long, 12-21 mm wide at base, ovate, acute to shortly acuminate, spreading to slightly recurved, margins hairless.

Corolla 5-8 cm in diameter, outside smooth, pale cream-green becoming veined with red-purple towards tips of lobes inside wrinkled on annulus, transversely wrinkled on lobes, becoming nearly smooth towards tips as well as base of tube and behind rim of annulus, cream to greenish yellow variously spotted with purple-brown, with fewer and finer dots on annulus tube shallowly bowl-shaped, formed by annulus around gynostegium. Sepals 5-8 mm long, 2-3 mm wide at base, ovate to ovate-lanceolate, acute to acuminate.

Inflorescence one per stem near base, of one to three flowers developing successively from a short peduncle (10 mm long), with a few small subulate bracts (<1.5 mm long) pedicel 20-60 mm long, 2-3 mm in diameter, horizontal usually with ascending apex holding flower facing upwards, pale green to pinkish streaked with red-purple. Stems 2.5-10 cm long, 0.5-1 cm in diameter (excluding teeth), (shortly) decumbent, green mottled with purple-brown tubercles 3-9 mm long, arranged loosely into four obtuse rows along stem with a groove between rows, tapering to a spreading to ascending conical acute tooth, often with a minute denticle on either side near apex. Small succulent, forming clumps 5-20 cm (-1 m) in diameter, not rhizomatous. The following description is from Bruyns (2002):

Carrion plant