‖Sta‐pe″li‐a (@–lĭ‐ȧ), n. [NL. So named after John Bodæus a Stapel, a physician of Amsterdam.] (Bot.) An extensive and curious genus of African plants of the natural order Asclepiadaceæ (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.
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Webster's Dictionary 1913
Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary, C. & G. Merriam Co., 1913.