Stats

Lifespan: Perennial
Size: Small
Diet: Photosynthetic
Biome: Mediterranean shrubland
Range: Southern Africa
Movement: Sessile
Breeding: Seeds
Defense: Camouflage
Status: Rare

About

This succulent grows along the rocky coastal cliffs of the Western Cape. Its mottled flower mimics the scent and appearance of rotting meat to attract flies.

Life cycle

1.
seed
A dormant seed waits for water and warmth before germinating.
2.
sprout
A first shoot emerges with cotyledon leaves and a tap root reaching down.
3.
sapling
A young plant grows true leaves and a stem or trunk, putting on height each season.
4.
mature
Fully grown, flowering or fruiting at adult size.

Learn more

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Taxonomy

Kingdom: Plantae
Phylum: Tracheophyta
Class: Magnoliopsida
Order: Gentianales
Family: Apocynaceae
Genus: Orbea
Species: Orbea variegata