Stapelia \Sta*pe"li*a\ (-l[i^]*[.a]), 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]

Source: The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48
 

stapelia

Source: WordNet (r) 2.0
 

Stapelia \Sta*pe"li*a\, n. [NL. So named after John Bod[ae]us a Stapel, a physician of Amsterdam.]

(Bot.) An extensive and curious genus of African plants of the natural order Asclepiadace[ae] (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.

Source: Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913)