\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.