Stapelia olivacea N.E.Br.

Small succulent forming compact clump 50-150 mm diam. Stems 20-120 mm long, 6-10 mm thick, erect, shortly pubescent, grey-green, with purplish flecks and darker green in grooves between angles; tubercles 1-2 mm long, obscure, joined into 4 obtuse angles along stem with stem slightly concave between angles; leaf-rudiments 1.0-1.5 mm long. Inflorescence pubescent, 1 per stem arising near base, with 1-6 flowers developing in gradual succession on short stout peduncle <10 mm long, with deltoid bracts up to 1 mm long; pedicel 4-6 mm long, 1.5 mm thick, pinkish, ascending to spreading and holding flower facing outwards; sepals ovate-lanceolate, acute, 4-5 mm long, 1.5 mm broad at base. Corolla 20-40 mm diam, ± rotate to slightly campanulate, lobed to about middle of radius; outside purplish to greenish, with 3 darker veins on each lobe; inside transversely rugulose over whole surface, mostly almost black but sometimes red-brown to yellow-brown (olive-green), glabrous; tube 2-4 mm long, 4-6 mm broad, ± bowl-shaped, pentagonal with radiating grooves in corolla below sinuses of lobes; lobes 7-15 mm long, 6-8 mm broad at base, spreading, ovate-deltate to ovate-lanceolate, acute, ± flat above or with margins slightly recurved, often with dense row of fine white hairs along margins. Corona ±7 mm tall, ±7 mm broad, purple-black to red, raised on very short obtusely pentagonal stipe <1 mm long, glabrous; outer lobes 2.5-3.5 mm long, 1 mm broad, spreading onto surface of corolla, narrowly deltoid, obtuse to truncate, slightly channelled above; inner lobes 4-5 mm long, adpressed to backs of anthers then erect and recurved above, dorsiventrally flattened towards base becoming slender and ± terete above, with slender (± as broad as thick) acuminate ascending-spreading and laterally flattened dorsal wing.

It is a subtropical plant.

It is an appetite suppressant.