Bryophyllum pinnatum
Bryophyllum
air or life or curtain or Mexican love plant, floppers, live or good-luck or miracle or sprouting leaf, mother-in-law
little-branched, (suckering at base), terete, 5–20 dm × 0.5–2 cm.
mostly erect [scandent], branching or often simple proximal to cyme, often bare by anthesis, succulent.
opposite, evenly spaced, the 1st simple, the rest mostly pinnate with 3 or 5 short-stalked leaflets;
petiole subterete, 20–100 mm;
blade and leaflets green streaked with purple, elliptic-oblong, 5–20 × 2–12 cm, margins crenate-serrate, apex obtuse, surfaces ± glaucous;
bulbils in notches of leaf margins.
persistent, cauline, sometimes subrosulate, mostly opposite, sometimes in whorls of 3, sessile or petiolate, subclasping basally, (narrowed apically);
blade obovate or triangular to lanceolate or elliptic-oblong, laminar (B. delagoense subcylindric), 2–50 cm, fleshy, base not spurred, margins entire, lobed, or 1–2 times imparipinnate;
veins not conspicuous.
terminal cymes, often paniculate (branches 1–5 times bifurcate with flower in fork).
10–25 mm.
present.
calyx pale yellow flecked with red, inflated, 25–50 mm, (papery), tube 24–40 mm, lobes deltate, to 10 mm, shorter than tube, apex acute;
corolla with tube greenish white and exserted portion maroon, 30–70 mm, contracted basally, (sparsely glandular-puberulent), lobes oblong-ovate to triangular, 10–20 mm, apex acuminate.
pendulous, 4-merous;
sepals connate basally or into tube (calyx often inflated and accrescent in fruit), all alike;
petals erect, connate into tube, orange, yellow-green marked with lavender, pale yellow flecked with red, orange-red, scarlet, pink, lavender, yellow-green flecked with violet-red, or greenish white with maroon distally, (corolla throat 2–4 times subglobose tube, often constricted against pistils at base, lobes shorter than throat);
calyx and corolla not circumscissile in fruit;
nectaries semicircular to linear;
stamens [mostly] 8;
filaments adnate on corolla tube;
pistils erect, (often connate basally);
ovary base somewhat narrowed, tapering to styles;
styles 2–4 times longer than ovary.
[mostly] erect.
ellipsoid, ribbed, finely cross-ribbed.
open, paniculate, 1–8 dm diam.;
branches to 12 cm.
= 17.
= 40.
Bryophyllum pinnatum
Bryophyllum
Bryophyllum pinnatum is common in southern Florida, as far north as Gainesville in good years but killed back in cold winters (Daniel Ward, pers. comm.). It is widely grown as an ornamental and curiosity and for medicine. It has been the subject of many physiological and anatomical studies (A. Berger 1930; P. Boiteau and L. Allorge-Boiteau 1995).
P. Knuth (1906–1909, vol. 2) quoted J. Delpino’s report of abundant nectar in the flowers and his suggestion of visits by hummingbirds—which, however, are not in Madagascar! Perhaps they are visited by sunbirds. On distal leaves J. H. Craft (1943) found nectaries that at flowering time secrete droplets high in glucose.
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
Kalanchoë Adanson sect. Bryophyllum (Salisbury) Boiteau & Mannoni
Species ca. 30 (5 in the flora).
Because of some intermediates, Bryophyllum is often included in Kalanchoë, as by P. Boiteau and L. Allorge-Boiteau (1995). M. Lauzac-Marchal (1974) argued for separation; the case is not clear.
Some species of Bryophyllum are widely naturalized in Australia, southern Africa, and elsewhere. The five species and one hybrid that infest over 10,000 hectares in Queensland are highly toxic to livestock, particularly cattle, with bufadienolides that cause cardiac glycoside poisoning (P. I. Forster 1996; R. A. McKenzie and P. J. Dunster 1986; McKenzie et al. 1987). The widespread B. pinnatum is commonly used to treat rheumatism, ulcers, burns, infections, and inflammations, as well as for old-fashioned magic, and has been the subject of many biological and phytochemical studies Some other species have similar uses and have also been studied (S. S. Costa et al. 1995).
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
1. Leaves mostly pinnate (or the 1st simple), blade elliptic-oblong, margins crenate-serrate; calyx 25-50 mm, inflated. | B. pinnatum |
1. Leaves all simple, blade triangular to obovate, lanceolate, or subcylindric, margins crenate, sinuate, serrate, or entire; calyx 6-25 mm, inflated or not | → 2 |
2. Corollas to 2 times length of calyx, contracted basally; calyx lobes shorter than tube; bulbils borne in notches of leaf margins; herbage not mottled | → 3 |
2. Corollas 3-4 times length of calyx, not contracted basally; calyx lobes equaling or longer than tube; bulbils borne on spoon-shaped spur in notch of leaf margins; herbage mottled | → 4 |
3. Leaves evenly spaced, petiole terete, blade obovate, 2-10 cm, lavender-gray; calyx 10-18 mm; corolla 18-25 mm; plants polycarpic. | B. fedtschenkoi |
3. Leaves crowded near base, subrosulate, petiole indefinite, broad, blade lanceolate, 15-50 cm, green or gray-green, sometimes with maroon or dark green blotches; calyx 18-25 mm; corolla 40-50 mm; plants monocarpic. | B. gastonis-bonnieri |
4. Leaves petiolate, opposite, blade triangular to lanceolate, margins serrate and bulbiferous. | B. daigremontianum |
4. Leaves with blades and petioles indistinguishable, mostly in 3s, blade and petiole subcylindric, margins entire except for 3-9 teeth at apex, bulbiferous at apex. | B. delagoense |
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