Weeds of Australia - Fact Sheet

Top Scientific Name Synonyms Family Common Names Origin Naturalised Distribution Notes

Scientific Name

Orbea variegata (L.) Haw.

Synonyms

Stapelia variegata L.

Family

Asclepiadaceae (Victoria, the ACT, Tasmania, South Australia, Western Australia and the Northern Territory)
Apocynaceae (Queensland and New South Wales)

Common Names

African carrion flower, carrion flower, carrion-flower, stapelia, starfish cactus, toad cactus

Origin

Native to south-western Africa (i.e. Cape Province in South Africa).

Naturalised Distribution

This species is mainly naturalised on the Eyre Peninsula in the southern parts of South Australia. It has also been recorded from the southern Lofty Mountains region in south-eastern South Australia, from near Kalgoorlie in inland Western Australia, and from the Darling Downs in the inland parts of south-eastern Queensland.

Notes

Carion flower (Orbea variegata) is regarded as an environmental weed in South Australia and is listed as a priority environmental weed in at least one Natural Resource Management region. This species has escaped cultivation and is becoming a serious garden escape in the arid lands of South Australia. It is also listed as an invasive garden plant in the Greater Adelaide Region.