The genera of plants within the tribe Stapeliae are all to varying degrees stem succulents and are leafless. They are tropical plants, except for the single species Caralluma europea from the very southern part of the Iberian peninsula. They are often regarded as a climax group within the family because of their often structurally complex flowers. Certain aspects of these reproductive parts mirror the pollination systems in the Orchid family and represent a case of parallel evolution though both groups are quite unrelated and have developed similar, though not identical means to achieve the ultimate goal of pollination and therefore reproduction.
List of genera
