Kalanchoe Adans., Fam. Pl. 2: 248. 1763; C. B. Clarke in Hook. f., Fl. Brit. India 2: 414. 1879; Bamber, Pl. Punj. 185. 1916; Collett, Fl. Siml. ed. 2: 184.1921 (Reprint 1980); Kunjun et al., Fl. China @ eFloras.org 8: 204; Fl. Pak. @ eFloras.org Pakistan V: 209; Bryophyllum Salisb., Parad. London1: t.3. 1805; C. B. Clarke in Hook. f., Fl. Brit. India 2: 413. 1879; Collett, Fl. Siml. ed. 2: 183. 1921 (Reprint 1980); Kunjun & Gilbert, Fl. China @ eFloras.org 8: 204; Fl. North Amer. @ eFloras.org 8: 158; Fl. Pak. @ eFloras.org Pakistan V: 209.

Perennial, sometimes annual or biennial herbs, sometimes subshrubs or shrubs, succulent. Stems erect or ascending, branched, glabrous. Leaves opposite, succulent, sessile or petiolate, usually amplexicaul; leaf blade undivided, rarely pinnatifid, margin entire, crenate or serrate, usually flat, sometimes semiterete, glabrous. Inflorescence terminal or axillary, panicle or corymb- like, sometimes thyrsoid composed of cymes, many-flowered; bracts small. Flowers erect, pedicellate, bisexual, actinomorphic, 4-merous, hypogynous, large, brightly coloured. Sepals 4, free or connate basally, triangular to lanceolate, shorter than or equalling the corolla tube. Petals 4, connate, salverform, yellow, white, red, pink or orange; tube subquadrangular or basally inflated and urn-shaped, base slightly narrowed; lobes 4, longer than tube. Stamens 8, twice as many as petals, in 2 whorls, inserted near the middle of corolla tube; filaments unequal in length, usually very short; anthers bithecous. Carpels 4, free or slightly connate at base, ovary superior, 1-locular, ovules few to many, placentation submarginal; styles usually shorter than the ovaries; stigma capitate. Nectar scales at base of outer face of carpels, semiorbicular to linear, entire, crenulate or emarginate at top. Follicles 4, many-seeded. Seeds many, oblong or ellipsoid with longitudinally rugrose integument.

169 species

Kalanchoe blossfeldiana Poelln., Repert. Spec. Nov. Regni. Veg. 35 (918/927): 159. 1934; K. globulifera var. coccinea H. Perrier, Arch. Bot. Bull. Men’s. 2(1): 26-27.

Perennial evergreen herb, 20-40 cm long. Stem erect, branched, glabrous. Leaves opposite, succulent, glossy, simple, petiolate, petiole up to 3.5 cm long, channelled above; leaf blade 4- 7(-10) cm x 2.5-4(-7) cm, flat, ovate, broadly ovate, obovate, oblong-ovate, ovate-oblong, suborbicular or orbicular, apex acute, obtuse or rounded, base rounded or cuneate, margin coarsely crenate or undulate-crenate, especially above middle; abaxially veins hard to see; bulbils not produced. Inflorescence terminal, up to 20 cm long, erect, apically dense, many- flowered, flat-topped thyrse; panicle of cymes, dichasia followed eventually by monochasia, peduncle up to 5.5 cm long, glabrous. Bracts up to 4 cm x 2 cm, similar in morphology to leaves. Flowers bisexual, actinomorphic, crimson red to scarlet, erect, ca. 1.4 cm long and 1.2-1.3 cm across; pedicels 2.5-4 mm long. Sepals 4, free or basally connate, 4-5.5 mm x 1- 1.5 mm, erecto-patent, triangular-lanceolate, acute, glabrous, shiny reddish-green, strongly infused with dark red spots, especially towards tip and margins. Corolla 1.2-1.3 cm long; tube 7-8 mm long, 4-angled, square when viewed from below, narrowed towards mouth, light green crimson red to scarlet; lobes ca. 6 mm x 3-3.5 mm, broadly elliptic or obovate, mucronate. Stamens 8, in 2 whorls, outer whorl opposite to petals, included, inserted well above the middle of corolla tube; filaments 1-1.5 mm long, yellow; anthers 0.3-0.7 mm long, rounded to slightly elongated, greenish-yellow turning brown; young anthers with apical gland. Carpels 4, ca.6 mm long, free or connate at base, ovaries ca. 4-5 mm long, bright light green; style ca. 2 mm long; stigma small, capitate. Nectar scales 4, linear, light yellow, ca. 2 mm x 0.5 mm, apex emarginate.

Follicles 4, 5-6 mm long, enveloped in dry, light brown remains of corolla. Seeds ca. 0.4 mm long, light brown. (Follicles not observed)

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