Stapelia flavopurpurea

Stapelia flavopurpurea is a branched stem succulent usually reaching 10 cm in height, occasionally about double that.

The stems are square in cross-section, decumbent at the base, erect for the most part. Stem thickness varies from 8 mm to 13 mm. The nearly flat stem sides, green to purple in colour appear smooth, their faint hair coverings nearly invisible. The tiny, rudimentary leaves up the stem angles are triangular, erect and acutely tipped.

The species distribution is in the western Karoo from around Laingsburg and the Tanqua Karoo to the Gariep River, Botswana and southern Namibia.

The plants grow under shrubs in arid and semi-arid, sandy terrain, particularly succulent Karoo. The species is not considered to be threatened in its habitat early in the twenty first century.

In the northern part of the distribution, mainly over the Gariep, there used to be a variety, S. flavopurpurea var. fleckii, representing some of the colour variations. It is no longer recognised as separate (White and Sloane, 1937; Frandsen, 2017; iNaturalist; http://www.llifle.com; http://redlist.sanbi.org)