From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Bryophyllums (from the Greek βρῦον/βρύειν bryon/bryein
= sprout, φύλλον
phyllon = leaf) are a section in the plant genus Kalanchoe of the Crassulaceae family. There are about twenty to
thirty species in the group, native originally of South Africa, Madagascar, and Asia. The group is notable for vegetatively growing small
plantlets on the fringes of the leaves; these eventually drop off
and root. These plantlets arise from mitosis of meristematic-type
tissue in notches in the leaves.
Nowadays, bryophyllums are naturalised in many parts of the tropics, either deliberately
cultivated originally for their attractiveness and interesting
reproduction. Some species are toxic, containing plant acids, bufadienolide alkaloids, calcium oxalate
etc, and have become noxious weeds in parts of the world. In
the native range of some of these Kalanchoe species in the
region of South Africa, they are abundant enough that they cause
disease in livestock, known as krimpsiekte ("shrinking
disease") or as cotyledonosis.
There are many hybrids, e.g. Kalanchoe ×
crenatodaigremontiana (K. crenata × K.
daigremontiana) or Houghton's Hybrid (B.daigremontianum ×
The three most commonly cultivated species are:
- Kalanchoe daigremontiana
(Syn. Bryophyllum daigremontianum):
Devil's Backbone or mother-of-thousands. Native of Madagascar; introduced
and naturalized in many parts of tropical and subtropical Africa,
Asia (Indian Ocean islands), North America (Florida) and South
Africa; cultivated in Pakistan.
- Kalanchoe pinnata (Syn.
Bryophyllum calycinum, Bryophyllum pinnatum): Air
Plant. Native of Tropical Africa, cultivated or naturalized on many
Pacific Islands (Tonga, Hawaii). It is also called the
"Goethe Plant" since the famous writer Johann Wolfgang von Goethe —
who also was an amateur naturalist of some repute — was
"passionately fond" of this plant and liked to give the baby
plantlets as gifts to friends who visited his home. He also
discussed his air plant at length in the essay that was titled
Geschichte meiner botanischen Studien ("History of my
- Kalanchoe delagoensis (Syn.
Bryophyllum delagoense, Bryophyllum tubiflorum,
Some other species in this section are:
- Kalanchoe adelae (Syn. Bryophyllum
- Kalanchoe beauverdii (Syn. Bryophyllum
beauverdii, Bryophyllum costantinii, Bryophyllum
juelii, Bryophyllum scandens)
- Kalanchoe bouvetii (Syn. Bryophyllum
- Kalanchoe campanulata
- Kalanchoe fedtschenkoi
gastonis-bonnieri (Syn. Bryophyllum
- Kalanchoe laxiflora (Syn. Bryophyllum
- Kalanchoe macrochlamys (Syn. Bryophyllum
- Kalanchoe manginii (Syn. Bryophyllum
- Kalanchoe marnieriana (Syn. Bryophyllum
- Kalanchoe miniata (Syn. Bryophyllum
- Kalanchoe prolifera (Syn. Bryophyllum
- Kalanchoe pubescens (Syn. Bryophyllum
aliciae, Bryophyllum pubescens)
- Kalanchoe rolandi-bonapartei (Syn. Bryophyllum
rolandi-bonapartei, Bryophyllum tsaratananense)
- Kalanchoe rosei (Syn. Bryophyllum rosei)
- Kalanchoe schizophylla (Syn. Bryophyllum
- Kalanchoe serrata (Syn. Bryophyllum
- Kalanchoe streptantha (Syn. Bryophyllum
- Kalanchoe suarezensis (Syn. Bryophyllum
- Kalanchoe uniflora
Many names: Mother of Thousands; Mother of Millions; Devil's
Backbone; Pregnant Plant, Mexican Hat Plant; Flopper; Sotre-Sotry;
Air Plant; Miracle Leaf; Sprouting Leaf; Sprout Leaf Plant; Leaf of
Life; Resurrection Plant; Canterbury Bells; Cathedral Bells;
Mexican Love Plant; Life Plant; Floppers; Good Luck Leaf;
Lifeplant; Mexican Love Plant; Mother in Law; Tree Of Life;
Hawaiian Air Leaf; Monkey Ears; Monkeys Ear...
- German: Brutblatt, Goethe-BlattWurzelblatt, Keimblatt,
Knotenblatt, Moosblatt, Lebenszweig
- Hawaiian: ‘oliwa kū kahakai ("beach olive")
- Spanish: (Yerba de) Bruja; Prodigiosa; Flor de aire; Siempre
Viva; Hoja Del Aire.
- Quichua: Chiriyuyu, Chiriyugu
- Hindi: Pathar Chat ("it licks away the stone") OR Patthar Tod
("It breaks the stone") The plant is popular in India for its use
in folk medicine. Purportedly, use of the plant dissolves and
prevents kidney stones. Practice is to cleanse the leaves and eat
them early morning for 20 days to dissolve existing stones, and
regular ingestion to prevent future ones.
- Bengali: Pathar Kuchi ("It breaks stones").