Stapelia hirsuta var. hirsuta

Stapelia hirsuta var. hirsuta, commonly known in Afrikaans as the haasoor (rabbit ear) and previously scientifically as S. asterias and S. pulvinata respectively at different times, among many other names, is a stem succulent that forms dense clumps of erect stems. A clump may be 30 cm in diameter, the stems about 15 cm tall.

The corolla lobes of the flowers are hirsute as the specific and variety names indicate. The fairly sparse hairs are long and pale to whitish, varying in parts of the distribution range. These hairs are concentrated near the corolla centre and on the lobe margins, particularly in the sinuses where the lobes meet, but often almost absent from the lobe surfaces.

The pinkish purple corolla surface is wrinkled, often in transversal lines that may be marked yellow or cream. The obscure, dark patch in the flower centre is the spreading to slightly ascending outer corona, blackish sometimes with some purple. The lobe tips of the outer corona recurve; they are sometimes three-toothed or obtusely pointed. The inner corona lobes with pale tips spread from the centre above the outer corona.

S. asterias, its previously recognised varieties S. asterias var. lucida and S. asterias var. gibba, as well as several S. hirsuta and S. patula varieties (and more) have all over time been sunken into this taxon. Expect the specimens encountered to be variable.

The variety distribution is in the west of the Northern Cape, in Namaqualand from near the Gariep River to the Western Cape in the Knersvlakte, southwards to Malmesbury and Paarl, eastwards to the west of the Little Karoo and Prince Albert, also nearer the coast from Greyton to Swellendam.

The habitat is flats and slopes among bushes, rocky mountain outcrops, Namaqualand gneiss hills and disturbed land. The habitat population is deemed of least concern early in the twenty first century (White and Sloane, 1937; iNaturalist; https://www.worldfloraonline.org; http://redlist.sanbi.org).