What is this thing?
 

The lady across the street gave it to me years ago. It looked like a
spiky green snake. After a year, it was twice as long but otherwise the
same. I asked if it would do anything else. She assured me it would do
stuff. Sure enough, it started branching and now it blooms fairly often.
She didn't tell me what it was and I doubt that she knew. She probably
thought it was some kind of cactus, but the flowers say otherwise. She
has now moved away, so I can't ask anyway. (two pictures attached)

Steve

What is this thing?
 

In article , Steve writes
The lady across the street gave it to me years ago. It looked like a
spiky green snake. After a year, it was twice as long but otherwise the
same. I asked if it would do anything else. She assured me it would do
stuff. Sure enough, it started branching and now it blooms fairly often.
She didn't tell me what it was and I doubt that she knew. She probably
thought it was some kind of cactus, but the flowers say otherwise. She
has now moved away, so I can't ask anyway. (two pictures attached)

Steve

[ A MIME image / jpeg part was included here. ]


[ A MIME image / jpeg part was included here. ]


It's not a cactus (they have spines!) but belongs to the same group as
Stapelia variegata which I have. Yours is more desirable, especially if
it doesn't smell like something rotten.

Stapeliads are exotic and often very beautiful, especially in pictures
where you can't smell them. See here for instance:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/martin_...7594229096037/

--
Sue ]:(:)

What is this thing?
 

In article , Steve
wrote:

The lady across the street gave it to me years ago. It looked like a
spiky green snake. After a year, it was twice as long but otherwise the
same. I asked if it would do anything else. She assured me it would do
stuff. Sure enough, it started branching and now it blooms fairly often.
She didn't tell me what it was and I doubt that she knew. She probably
thought it was some kind of cactus, but the flowers say otherwise. She
has now moved away, so I can't ask anyway. (two pictures attached)

Steve



Looks like a flower to me.

(Sorry. I just can't help myself.)

--
Sue

8^)~~~~~~~~ (remove the x to email)
~~~~~~~~~~~

What is this thing?
 

On 8/13/2013 5:03 AM, Mad Cow wrote:
In , writes
The lady across the street gave it to me years ago. It looked like a
spiky green snake. After a year, it was twice as long but otherwise the
same. I asked if it would do anything else. She assured me it would do
stuff. Sure enough, it started branching and now it blooms fairly often.
She didn't tell me what it was and I doubt that she knew. She probably
thought it was some kind of cactus, but the flowers say otherwise. She
has now moved away, so I can't ask anyway. (two pictures attached)

Steve

[ A MIME image / jpeg part was included here. ]


[ A MIME image / jpeg part was included here. ]


It's not a cactus (they have spines!) but belongs to the same group as
Stapelia variegata which I have. Yours is more desirable, especially if
it doesn't smell like something rotten.

Stapeliads are exotic and often very beautiful, especially in pictures
where you can't smell them. See here for instance:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/martin_...7594229096037/


Thanks Sue. I knew it wasn't a cactus because of the flowers. I might
have figured this out on my own if I had worked on it. Of course, I
wanted an excuse to post my pictures here anyway.
It crossed my mind that the flowers resembled pictures I had seen
labeled as carrion flowers. If I had searched "carrion flowers" on
Wikipedia, I would have recognized Stapelia as the one I was thinking
of. I would have gotten at least that far. I actually didn't realize
that Stapelias were plants that (in some cases) resemble cactus.
Thanks for the link, they certainly come in a nearly endless number of
varieties. By the way, I have never noticed any smell at all from the
flowers on my plant. When I get a chance, I'll get my nose in close and
see if there is a faint smell that I have been missing. Steve

What is this thing?
 

On 8/13/2013 4:51 PM, Suzie-Q wrote:
In ,
wrote:

The lady across the street gave it to me years ago. It looked like a
spiky green snake. After a year, it was twice as long but otherwise the
same. I asked if it would do anything else. She assured me it would do
stuff. Sure enough, it started branching and now it blooms fairly often.
She didn't tell me what it was and I doubt that she knew. She probably
thought it was some kind of cactus, but the flowers say otherwise. She
has now moved away, so I can't ask anyway. (two pictures attached)

Steve



Looks like a flower to me.

(Sorry. I just can't help myself.)


Gee Sue, you weren't quite as helpful as the mad cow Sue. That's OK,
sometimes I just can't help myself either. :-) Steve

What is this thing?
 

In article , Steve writes

Thanks Sue. I knew it wasn't a cactus because of the flowers. I might
have figured this out on my own if I had worked on it. Of course, I
wanted an excuse to post my pictures here anyway.

Quite right. That is what the group's for!

It crossed my mind that the flowers resembled pictures I had seen
labeled as carrion flowers. If I had searched "carrion flowers" on
Wikipedia, I would have recognized Stapelia as the one I was thinking
of. I would have gotten at least that far. I actually didn't realize
that Stapelias were plants that (in some cases) resemble cactus.
Thanks for the link, they certainly come in a nearly endless number of
varieties. By the way, I have never noticed any smell at all from the
flowers on my plant. When I get a chance, I'll get my nose in close and
see if there is a faint smell that I have been missing. Steve

It's never very strong but in a greenhouse or small room a flowering
Stapelia gives the impression somebody's farted. So I grow it on the
lavatory windowsill where it won't matter! It doesn't attract British
flies much and I don't think it's ever set seeds.
--
Sue ]:(:)

What is this thing?
 

In article , Steve
wrote:

On 8/13/2013 4:51 PM, Suzie-Q wrote:
In ,
wrote:

The lady across the street gave it to me years ago. It looked like a
spiky green snake. After a year, it was twice as long but otherwise the
same. I asked if it would do anything else. She assured me it would do
stuff. Sure enough, it started branching and now it blooms fairly often.
She didn't tell me what it was and I doubt that she knew. She probably
thought it was some kind of cactus, but the flowers say otherwise. She
has now moved away, so I can't ask anyway. (two pictures attached)

Steve



Looks like a flower to me.

(Sorry. I just can't help myself.)


Gee Sue, you weren't quite as helpful as the mad cow Sue. That's OK,
sometimes I just can't help myself either. :-) Steve


Yeah. Well, she has no sense of humor.

--
Sue

8^)~~~~~~~~ (remove the x to email)
~~~~~~~~~~~

I didn't see this kind of flower before.I think it's sort of indoor plant and need low temperature for growth.
Can you tell me some detail about it