OliveiraTP · CC BY-SA 4.0
About
The genus *Kalanchoe sp* is a diverse group of tropical, succulent plants, popular with hobbyists for their ease of propagation, low water needs, and wide variety of flower colors. Many species are notable for their unique asexual reproduction, developing plantlets (bulbils) at the leaf margins.
Field notes
Morphology
Most species are shrubs or perennial herbaceous plants, generally less than 1 meter tall, though some, such as *Kalanchoe beharensis*, can reach 6 meters. The flowers are divided into 4 sections with 8 stamens, and the petals are fused into a tube.
Distribution & habitat
The genus is predominantly native to the Old World, with 60 species found on the island of Madagascar, 56 species from southern and eastern Africa, and also found in south-eastern Asia and China.
Ecology
The leaves of the species are food plants for the caterpillars of the Red Pierrot butterfly, which burrows into the leaves to eat the internal cells.
Cultivation notes
These plants are cultivated as ornamental houseplants and rock or succulent garden plants due to their ease of propagation and low water requirements. The section Bryophyllum contains species like *Kalanchoe pinnata*, which develop new individuals vegetatively as plantlets (bulbils) at indentations in the leaf margins.
History & etymology
The genus *Kalanchoe* was first described by the French botanist Michel Adanson in 1763. The name was cited by Adanson from the Cantonese name 伽藍菜 (gālàahm choi).
Habitat
- Altitude
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- Altitude Class
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Cultivation
- Difficulty
- intermediate
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