Kalanchoe blossfeldiana explained

Kalanchoe blossfeldiana is a commonly cultivated evergreen house plant of the genus Kalanchoe native to Madagascar. It is known by the English common names flaming Katy, Christmas kalanchoe, florist kalanchoe[1] and Madagascar widow's-thrill.[2]

Taxonomy and naming

Kalanchoe blossfeldiana is in the Kalanchoe section of the Kalanchoe genus, with a description of the plant published in 1934 (Repert. Spec. Nov. Regni Veg. 35:159). Regarding the etymology of the binomial, Adanson adapted the generic name Kalanchoe from 'Kalanchauhuy', a Chinese name for one species recorded by Georg Joseph Kamel, a botanist and Jesuit missionary to the Philippines.[3] [4] [5]

The Oxford English Dictionary states that it is "based on [the] Chinese 伽藍菜 gāláncài",[6] whilst the Collins English Dictionary merely restates the claim that the generic name was derived from the local Chinese name for one of the species.[7] The specific epithet blossfeldiana is in tribute to German hybridiser and botanist Robert Blossfeld, who first introduced the plant to the rest of the world in 1932.[8] The common name Christmas Kalanchoe comes from the plant's flamboyant and colourful blooms in winter.[9]

Description

Kalanchoe blossfeldiana is a glabrous,[10] bushy, evergreen and perennial succulent plant which (in 2–5 years)[11] can reach an ultimate height of between 30and and an ultimate spread of between 10and. K. blossfeldiana has a round habit and a moderate plant density; its growth rate has been described as 'slow'.[12] The plant has green, shiny and textured glossy foliage which stays green all year round. The scallop-edged and ovate leaves are arranged in an opposite/subopposite fashion, are simple in type with crenate margins and an oblong shape. The arrangement of the veins in a leaf (venation) can be absent or very hard to see; the leaf blades are 5– long.

Parts of Kalanchoe blossfeldiana are poisonous if ingested.

Inflorescences

K. blossfeldiana flowers in late autumn to early winter; each flower has four petals and can be one of a wide variety of colours, from the dark reds and pinks to oranges, golds and whites. K. blossfeldiana is a short-day plant, meaning that its blooming cycle is regulated by the amount of sunlight it receives each day. The plant will bloom when it is receiving approximately 10 hours of daylight and 14 hours of darkness for 6-8 weeks.[13] The ovary is tetracarpellary and apocarpous while stamens are four in number and are epipetalous. The inflorescences are borne by peduncles which are higher up than the leaves and are terminal in nature.[14]

Distribution and habitat

Kalanchoe blossfeldiana is native to Madagascar, where the plant can be found growing in the relatively cool plateaus of the Tsarantanana Mountains; K. blossfeldiana in this environment grows in humus soil.[15]

Ecology

While generally disease-free, Kalanchoe blossfeldiana can be damaged by pest insects such as Otiorhynchus sulcatus (vine weevil) or mealybugs.

Cultivation

With a minimum temperature of 10C K. blossfeldiana requires the protection of glass during the winter months in temperate locations. It needs to be in a cool, partially shaded spot. However, it may be placed outside in summer. In the UK It has gained the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit.[16] [17]

See also

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Detailed information on Flaming Katy, Christmas Kalanchoe, Florist Kalanchoe Kalanchoe blossfeldiana. PlantFiles. Dave's Garden. 6 December 2013.
  2. Web site: Plants Profile for Kalanchoe blossfeldiana (Madagascar widow's-thrill) . PLANTS Database . . 6 December 2013 . https://web.archive.org/web/20131214072918/http://plants.usda.gov/core/profile?symbol=KABL . 14 December 2013 . dead .
  3. https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/3611216#page/1076/mode/1up Adanson, M. Familles des Plantes
  4. Camel, J.G. Herbarium aliarumque stirpium in Insulâ Luzone Philippinarum Primariâ nascentium. In: John Ray: Historia plantarum. Band 3, London 1704, Anhang, S. 1–42 p. 6. item 18. http://bibdigital.rjb.csic.es/ing/Libro.php?Libro=3675&Pagina=817
  5. Kalanchoe: The Genus and its Chromosomes. 10.2307/2436516. J. T.. Baldwin Jr.. American Journal of Botany. 572–579. 25. 8. October 1938. 2436516.
  6. Web site: kalanchoe . . . 12 December 2013 . https://web.archive.org/web/20141214181017/http://english.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/kalanchoe . 14 December 2014 . dead .
  7. Web site: kalanchoe . . 12 December 2013 . https://web.archive.org/web/20131212184237/http://www.collinsdictionary.com/dictionary/english/kalanchoe . 12 December 2013 . dead .
  8. Web site: Kalanchoe blossfeldiana information . Plants by name . . 12 December 2013 . https://web.archive.org/web/20130703214441/http://www.flowers.org.uk/plants/plants-by-name/i-l/kalanchoe-blossfeldiana/ . 3 July 2013 . dead .
  9. Web site: Kalanchoe blossfeldiana (Christmas Kalanchoe) for charming colors . John&Jacq~s Garden . 15 December 2013 . https://web.archive.org/web/20131215225938/http://www.jaycjayc.com/kalanchoe-blossfeldiana-christmas/ . 15 December 2013 . dead .
  10. Web site: Kalanchoe blossfeldiana - Christmas Kalanchoe - Crassulaceae . Lemke . Carl . 23 December 2005 . University of Oklahoma Department of Microbiology & Plant Biology . 12 December 2013 . https://web.archive.org/web/20130525072626/http://www.plantoftheweek.org/week340.shtml . 25 May 2013 . dead .
  11. Web site: Kalanchoe blossfeldiana AGM . Plant Selector . . 6 December 2013 . https://web.archive.org/web/20131214081155/http://apps.rhs.org.uk/plantselector/plant?plantid=1086 . 14 December 2013 . dead .
  12. Web site: FPS-309/FP309: Kalanchoe Blossfeldiana Kalanchoe . F. Gilman . Edward . Electronic Data Information System . . 6 December 2013 . https://web.archive.org/web/20131211093205/http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/fp309 . 11 December 2013 . dead.
  13. Web site: How to Get a Florist Kalanchoe to Rebloom . World of Succulents . 1 October 2018.
  14. Web site: Kalancho/ Kalancho blossfeldiana / Christmas kalanchoe/ Flaming Katy . PHILIPPINE MEDICINAL PLANTS . STUARTXCHANGE . 12 December 2013 . https://web.archive.org/web/20150402121018/http://stuartxchange.com/Kalancho.html . 2 April 2015 . dead.
  15. Web site: Plants & Flowers » Kalanchoe blossfeldiana . 16 August 2013 . . 6 December 2013 . https://web.archive.org/web/20131212133615/http://plantsrescue.com/kalanchoe-blossfeldiana/ . 12 December 2013 . dead .
  16. Web site: RHS Plantfinder - Kalanchoe blossfeldiana . 13 March 2018.
  17. Web site: AGM Plants - Ornamental . July 2017 . 56 . Royal HorticulturalSociety . 14 March 2018.

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