''Kalanchoe daigremontiana'', formerly known as ''Bryophyllum daigremontianum'' and commonly called mother of thousands, alligator plant or Mexican hat plant, is a

succulent plant In botany, succulent plants, also known as succulents, are plants with parts that are thickened, fleshy, and engorged, usually to retain water in arid climates or soil conditions. The word ''succulent'' comes from the Latin word ''sucus'', meanin ...

native to

Madagascar Madagascar, officially the Republic of Madagascar, is an island country that includes the island of Madagascar and numerous smaller peripheral islands. Lying off the southeastern coast of Africa, it is the world's List of islands by area, f ...

. Like other members of '' Bryophyllum'' (now included in the genus '' Kalanchoe''), it can propagate vegetatively from plantlets that develop on its leaf margins, as well as through upshoots from lateral roots, and seeds. All parts of this species contain a very toxic

steroid A steroid is an organic compound with four fused compound, fused rings (designated A, B, C, and D) arranged in a specific molecular configuration. Steroids have two principal biological functions: as important components of cell membranes t ...

known as daigremontianin. It is often confused with ''Kalanchoe laetivirens'', ''Kalanchoe delagoensis'' and ''Kalanchoe × houghtonii''. The leaves of '' Kalanchoe laetivirens'' are completely green, while ''Kalanchoe daigremontiana'' has bands or spots on the back of leaves. The leaves of '' Kalanchoe delagoensis'' are linear, while ''Kalanchoe daigremontiana'' has lanceolate, oblong, ovate or triangular leaves. '' Kalanchoe × houghtonii'' is a hybrid between ''Kalanchoe daigremontiana'' and ''Kalanchoe delagoensis'', therefore has characteristics in between; its leaves are narrower than those of ''Kalanchoe daigremontiana'' and its leaf base is attenuate, cuneate to weakly cordate or auriculate, while ''Kalanchoe daigremontiana'' has strongly cordate to auriculate or even peltate leaves.

Morphology

Plants grow up to tall and have opposite and whorled, fleshy oblong- lanceolate leaves which grow up to long and wide. They are green above and blotched with purple underneath. Leaf margins have spoon-shaped bulbiliferous spurs which bear plantlets which may form roots while still attached to leaves. A plant may also develop lateral roots on its main stalk, as high up as above the ground. A plant's upper leaves may grow large, causing its main stalk to bend downward. Then the lateral roots may enter soil and new vertical shoots may grow from the original shoot. ''Kalanchoe daigremontiana'' can spread by both seeds and by plantlets dropped from its leaves. ''Kalanchoe daigremontiana'' has an umbrella-like terminal

inflorescence In botany, an inflorescence is a group or cluster of flowers arranged on a plant's Plant stem, stem that is composed of a main branch or a system of branches. An inflorescence is categorized on the basis of the arrangement of flowers on a mai ...

(a compound cyme) of small bell-shaped, grayish pink (or sometimes orange) flowers. Flowering is, however, not an annual event and occurs sporadically if at all on some shoots. Particularly in climates with distinct seasonal temperature differences, flowering is most frequently observed at the beginning of a warm season. Indoor plants, as well as balcony plants which have been moved inside to survive the cold season, begin flowering in early winter. As a succulent plant, ''Kalanchoe daigremontiana'' can survive prolonged periods of

drought A drought is a period of drier-than-normal conditions.Douville, H., K. Raghavan, J. Renwick, R.P. Allan, P.A. Arias, M. Barlow, R. Cerezo-Mota, A. Cherchi, T.Y. Gan, J. Gergis, D. Jiang, A. Khan, W. Pokam Mba, D. Rosenfeld, J. Tierney, ...

with little or no water. During growth periods with higher temperatures and increased water supply, this species requires proper nutrition, without which leaves show deficiency symptoms such as crippled growth and pustule-like lesions. The plant is not frost-hardy and typically dies in places where temperatures are below freezing.

Physiology

Plants of the genus ''Kalanchoe'' as well as many other plants growing in arid regions photosynthesize via Crassulacean acid metabolism.

Distribution

''Kalanchoe daigremontiana'' is native to the Fiherenana River valley and Androhibolava mountains in southwest Madagascar. It has been introduced to numerous tropical and subtropical regions, such as

Florida Florida ( ; ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It borders the Gulf of Mexico to the west, Alabama to the northwest, Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia to the north, the Atlantic ...

Puerto Rico ; abbreviated PR), officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, is a Government of Puerto Rico, self-governing Caribbean Geography of Puerto Rico, archipelago and island organized as an Territories of the United States, unincorporated territo ...

Hawaii Hawaii ( ; ) is an island U.S. state, state of the United States, in the Pacific Ocean about southwest of the U.S. mainland. One of the two Non-contiguous United States, non-contiguous U.S. states (along with Alaska), it is the only sta ...

Venezuela Venezuela, officially the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, is a country on the northern coast of South America, consisting of a continental landmass and many Federal Dependencies of Venezuela, islands and islets in the Caribbean Sea. It com ...

Argentina Argentina, officially the Argentine Republic, is a country in the southern half of South America. It covers an area of , making it the List of South American countries by area, second-largest country in South America after Brazil, the fourt ...

Brazil Brazil, officially the Federative Republic of Brazil, is the largest country in South America. It is the world's List of countries and dependencies by area, fifth-largest country by area and the List of countries and dependencies by population ...

Uruguay Uruguay, officially the Oriental Republic of Uruguay, is a country in South America. It shares borders with Argentina to its west and southwest and Brazil to its north and northeast, while bordering the Río de la Plata to the south and the A ...

, and parts of

southern Europe Southern Europe is also known as Mediterranean Europe, as its geography is marked by the Mediterranean Sea. Definitions of southern Europe include some or all of these countries and regions: Albania, Andorra, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, C ...

Habitat

''Kalanchoe daigremontiana'' prefers to grow in rocky and dry places. It can become an invasive plant and threaten natural ecosystems, especially in arid and semi-arid environments (South Africa and regions of South America for example), where it can inhibit native-plant recruitment.

Gallery

File:Brutblatt.jpg, ''Kalanchoe daigremontiana'' potted File:Kalanchoe daigremontiana distribution in florida.jpg, County distribution in

File:Kalanchoe daigremontiana3061889202.gif, Flowers File:Bryophyllum Daigremontianum macro.jpg, plantlets File:Bryophyllum Daigremontianum macro 1.jpg, plantlets File:Plantlets on plantlets.jpg, Kalanchoe daigremontiana plantlets on plantlets

References

External links

Photos of ''Kalanchoe daigremontiana'' inflorescencesUnited States Department of Agriculture profile on ''Kalanchoe daigremontiana''plantoftheweek.com entry on ''Kalanchoe daigremontiana''
{{Taxonbar , from1=Q311176 , from2=Q15480929 daigremontiana daigremontianum House plants Plants described in 1914 Taxa named by Joseph Marie Henry Alfred Perrier de la Bâthie