I have no idea what this cactus is, or if it has a name other than "Spot the Cactus." However, I went away for two days, and when I came back it had a flower on it. I am no stranger to cacti, however I've never seen anything like this before. The flower almost reminds me of passiflora the way the stamens go. The texture is soft and wrinkly, like petting a monarch caterpillar. There is no real fragrance. Any ideas what this cactus might be, and how I can promote more of these blooms on it? It's currently growing in a raw earthenware cooking pot, about 10" in diameter. The cactus itself is not more than 3" tall on the tallest arms, and it's spread to fill most of the available space. Pic #1 has an inset of the flower's profile; Pic #2 is the enlarged profile.
Googling images on Stapelia brought me S. mutabilis as an exact match both flower and foliage - so we have a species! I'll have to change its name to Spot the Succulent. Now, if I want to re-pot this or perhaps plant it out, will it stop blooming on me? Does it prefer to be rootbound? Is blooming a yearly event, or does it have more to do with soil conditions? I like this plant, and I'd like to add it to my xeriscape beds which are bone dry sandy and 12-hours-of-sunny, but I don't want to kill it or harm it....
I have the same cactus at home except different coloured flower (now I know what it is thanks). My flower is very dark purple and has a slight smell of rotting flesh, love the colour of yours lorax. Ed
