O. carnosa (Stent) Bruyns subsp. keithii (R.A.Dyer) Bruyns is stoloniferous and grows to a height of 60 mm. This plant has very prominent marginal teeth and small, fleshy flowers, which appear successively between the stem angles from October to January.

O. elegans Plowes is the most recently described species. It occurs on the south-eastern foothills of the Blouberg in Limpopo Province. The flower morphology is extremely distinct, differing from other species in the handsome (elegans ), spotted corolla with its dark purplish-maroon raised annulus. The species is currently listed as Critically Endangered (CR) on the Red Data List.

O. lutea (N.E.Br.) Bruyns subsp. lutea grows up to 100 mm high and, although usually erect, tends to sprawl when growing in shade. The stems are angled and also have prominent teeth. The flowers are produced in clusters of a few up to 17 and are carried at the base of the branches. The bright mustard-yellow to yellow corolla lobes have marginal vibratile hairs that dangle and move in the slightest breeze. The name is derived from the Latin word luteus which means yellow. Open flowers have a strong foul-smelling odour that attracts large numbers of fly pollinators. Flowering is mainly between December and February. This is the most widespread species of Orbea in South Africa, found in all the northern provinces, Free State , KwaZulu-Natal and the Northern Cape . The subspecies vaga (N.E.Br.) Bruyns has brown flowers.

O. namaquensis (N.E.Br.) L.C.Leach has short, stout stems that are sometimes almost cylindrical. Is restricted to Namaqualand in the north-western corner of South Africa where it can become locally quite common. This species is closely related to O. variegata and mainly differs in the internal flower structures and the annulus. In the sterile state, the stems are indistinguishable from those of O. ciliata (which has a different distribution and is florally very different).

O. tapscottii (I.Verd.) L.C.Leach grows in large tufts of up to 100 mm in diameter, containing up to 60 fleshy branches and can reach a height of 120 mm. It also has prominent teeth that turn white with age. The solitary flowers develop successively from near the base of the branches. The corolla has a tube with a distinct annulus and is greenish yellow, mottled with dark brown, giving it an almost reddish appearance. It has a strong, foetid odour. The species flowers from December to March, again depending on the rainfall. It is restricted to drier regions of the central to northern parts of Limpopo Province and extends into Botswana. This species is closely related to O. cooperi. This orbea was named in honour of Sydney Tapscott who was a well-known plant-collector in Botswana and Zambia in the early twentieth century.

O. variegata (L.) Haw. is probably the most well-known of all the species, having been in cultivation the longest. As it was one of the first South African stapeliads to be cultivated in Europe, many hybrids have been grown, most of them described as distinct species at some stage. Many of these hybrids are still in cultivation world-wide. The species grows under a variety of conditions. It originally comes from the winter-rainfall area of the Western Cape, mainly along the coastal belt. It grows actively during winter and spring. Growers should let the soil dry out between waterings and should feed the plants during the active growing season. Soil has to be wel-drained and rich in organic matter. This species is regarded as an alien invader in the southern parts of Australia.