stapelia

‖n. [ NL. So named after John Bodaeus a Stapel, a physician of Amsterdam. ] (Bot.) An extensive and curious genus of African plants of the natural order Asclepiadaceae (Milkweed family). They are succulent plants without leaves, frequently covered with dark tubercles giving them a very grotesque appearance. The odor of the blossoms is like that of carrion. [ 1913 Webster ]