Quaqua

This article is about the plant genus. For the indigenous South American language, see Piaroa language.

The genus Quaqua falls within the tribe of plants known collectively as stapeliads. All stapeliads, including Quaqua, are old world stem-succulents.^[1]

Species of the Quaqua genus are exceptionally varied and endemic to the southwestern Africa, and locally very common in Namaqualand. They are usually characterised by having stout, firm, 4 or 5-sided stems bearing conical tubercles which often have a tough, tapering spike at their ends. A few species lack the spikes or have smoothly rounded tubercles.^[1]

Quaqua flowers are distinctive from those of other southern African stapeliads for their numerous inflorescences emerging from each stem, especially closer to the ends. There are ten along each stem, vertically arranged in distichous series. The flowers themselves are typically sweet smelling (faintly of honey or lemon), attractive and rather small (between 7 and 15 mm in diameter). Some, however, reach a maximum diameter of 27 mm and are dark and papillate. These larger flowers frequently have a repulsive, pungent odor, either of urine or excrement.^[1]

Species

Sources