[2][3] The genus epithet Stapelia was named in honour of Johannes van Stapel, who described the first plant discovered, while the Latin species name hirsuta means "hairy”.

Concave groves run vertically along the stems, between their four angles.

[5][6] The flowers are flat, very hairy, dark-red and resemble rotting meat.

The carrion smell serve to attract various pollinators, especially flies.

It can be found in the mainly winter rainfall areas, in the far west of South Africa, northwards through the Namaqualand region, as far north as southern Namibia.