His name was chosen in honor of Justus van Heurne, a Dutch missionary. The first to become interested in this type of plant in the 17th century. Similar in appearance to cactaceae, they are actually succulents that, in order to adapt to their arid native environments, have transformed their leaves into thorns. It has slender stems divided into four well marked vertical ribs that do not reach considerable heights but tend to cover wide horizontal spaces. The epidermis is light green and takes on reddish shades depending on exposure to the sun. The highlight of H. stapelioides are its inflorescences: beautiful flowers in the shape of a five-pointed star, with yellowish petals covered with dark red streaks create a magnificent visual effect. The flowering period is December-January.