''Kalanchoe pinnata'', commonly known as cathedral bells, air plant, life plant, miracle leaf,
Goethe plant, and love bush, 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 ...
. It is a popular
houseplant
A houseplant, also known as a pot plant, potted plant, or indoor plant, is an ornamental plant cultivated indoors. for aesthetic or practical purposes. These plants are commonly found in House, homes, Office, offices, and various indoor spaces, w ...
and has become naturalized in tropical and subtropical areas. The species is distinctive for the profusion of miniature plantlets that form on the margins of its leaves, a trait it has in common with some other members of ''
Bryophyllum
''Bryophyllum'' (from the Greek ''bryon/bryein'' = sprout, ''phyllon'' = leaf) is a group of plant species of the family (biology), family Crassulaceae native to Madagascar. It is a Section (botany), section or subgenus within the genus ''Kalan ...
'' (now included in ''
Kalanchoe
''Kalanchoe'' ( ), (also called "kalanchöe" or "kalanchoë"), is a genus of about 125 species of tropical, succulent plants in the stonecrop family Crassulaceae, mainly native to Madagascar and tropical Africa. A ''Kalanchoe'' species was one ...
'').
It is a succulent,
perennial plant
In horticulture, the term perennial (''wikt:per-#Prefix, per-'' + ''wikt:-ennial#Suffix, -ennial'', "through the year") is used to differentiate a plant from shorter-lived annual plant, annuals and biennial plant, biennials. It has thus been d ...
, about tall, with fleshy cylindrical stems and young growth of a reddish tinge, which can be found in flower throughout most of the year.
Description
The leaves of this species are thick, fleshy, elliptical in shape, curved, with a
crenate
A leaf (: leaves) is a principal appendage of the stem of a vascular plant, usually borne laterally above ground and specialized for photosynthesis. Leaves are collectively called foliage, as in "autumn foliage", while the leaves, stem, fl ...
or serrated margin, often reddish. Simple at the base of the stem, the leaves are imparipinnate at the top, long, with three to five pairs of fleshy limb lobes.
The leaves are remarkable for their ability to produce
bulbil
A bulbil (also referred to as a bulbel, bulblet, and/or pup) is a small, young plant that is reproduced vegetatively from axillary buds on the parent plant's stem or in place of a flower on an inflorescence. These young plants are clones of the p ...
s. At their margin, between the teeth, adventitious buds appear, which produce roots, stems and leaves. When the plantlets fall to the ground, they root and can become larger plants. This is a fairly common trait in the section ''Bryophyllum''. The fruits are
follicles (10–15 mm) which are found in the persistent calyx and corolla.
The 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 ...
is a
panicle
In botany, a panicle is a much-branched inflorescence. (softcover ). Some authors distinguish it from a compound spike inflorescence, by requiring that the flowers (and fruit) be pedicellate (having a single stem per flower). The branches of a p ...
, with many pendent, red-orange flowers. The
calyx is formed of a long tube, red at the base, veined with yellowish green (or green spotted with reddish brown), with four very small triangular lobes at the end. The tubular
corolla, with a pronounced constriction separating the subspherical part of the
ovoid
An oval () is a closed curve in a plane which resembles the outline of an egg. The term is not very specific, but in some areas of mathematics (projective geometry, technical drawing, etc.), it is given a more precise definition, which may inc ...
part, is terminated by four lobes which reaches in length. It is yellowish in color with red-purple streaks. The eight stamens, each about long, are in two whorls, welded on the corolla. The ovary has four
carpel
Gynoecium (; ; : gynoecia) is most commonly used as a collective term for the parts of a flower that produce ovules and ultimately develop into the fruit and seeds. The gynoecium is the innermost whorl of a flower; it consists of (one or more ...
s, slightly fused together in the center, with slender styles.
Distribution
''Kalanchoe pinnata'' is 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 ...
.
[ and has become naturalized in tropical and subtropical areas, inhabiting warm and ]temperate climate
In geography, the temperate climates of Earth occur in the middle latitudes (approximately 23.5° to 66.5° N/S of the Equator), which span between the tropics and the polar regions of Earth. These zones generally have wider temperature ra ...
s from sea level
Mean sea level (MSL, often shortened to sea level) is an mean, average surface level of one or more among Earth's coastal Body of water, bodies of water from which heights such as elevation may be measured. The global MSL is a type of vertical ...
to , occupying sites on rock in tropical evergreen and dry deciduous forests, as well as montane forests
Montane ecosystems are found on the slopes of mountains. The alpine climate in these regions strongly affects the ecosystem because temperatures fall as elevation increases, causing the ecosystem to stratify. This stratification is a crucial f ...
. It is found in parts of Asia, Africa, Australia, New Zealand, the West Indies
The West Indies is an island subregion of the Americas, surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean and the Caribbean Sea, which comprises 13 independent island country, island countries and 19 dependent territory, dependencies in thr ...
, Bermuda, Macaronesia
Macaronesia (; ) is a collection of four volcanic archipelagos in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlantic, North Atlantic Ocean, off the coast of North Africa and Europe. Each archipelago is made up of a number of list of islands in the Atlantic Oc ...
, the Mascarenes
The Mascarene Islands (, ) or Mascarenes or Mascarenhas Archipelago is a group of islands in the Indian Ocean east of Madagascar consisting of islands belonging to the Republic of Mauritius as well as the French department of Réunion. Their na ...
, 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 ...
, Suriname
Suriname, officially the Republic of Suriname, is a country in northern South America, also considered as part of the Caribbean and the West Indies. It is a developing country with a Human Development Index, high level of human development; i ...
, the Galapagos Islands, Melanesia
Melanesia (, ) is a subregion of Oceania in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It extends from New Guinea in the west to the Fiji Islands in the east, and includes the Arafura Sea.
The region includes the four independent countries of Fiji, Vanu ...
, Polynesia
Polynesia ( , ) is a subregion of Oceania, made up of more than 1,000 islands scattered over the central and southern Pacific Ocean. The indigenous people who inhabit the islands of Polynesia are called Polynesians. They have many things in ...
, and 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 ...
.
In many of these, such as 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 ...
, it is regarded as an invasive species
An invasive species is an introduced species that harms its new environment. Invasive species adversely affect habitats and bioregions, causing ecological, environmental, and/or economic damage. The term can also be used for native spec ...
.
Much of the reason for the widespread naturalization of this plant can be traced to its popularity as a garden plant.
Taxonomy and nomenclature
The plant ''Kalanchoe pinnata'' was harvested by Pierre Sonnerat
Pierre Sonnerat (18 August 1748 – 31 March 1814) was a French naturalist, colonial administrator, writer and explorer. He described numerous species of plants and animals on his travels and is honoured in the genus ''Sonneratia'' and in other ...
in Isle de France (Mauritius
Mauritius, officially the Republic of Mauritius, is an island country in the Indian Ocean, about off the southeastern coast of East Africa, east of Madagascar. It includes the main island (also called Mauritius), as well as Rodrigues, Ag ...
) and communicated to Lamarck who described it in 1786 as the ''Cotyledon pinnata''. Subsequently, the Paris naturalist Christiaan Hendrik Persoon
Christiaan Hendrik Persoon (31 December 1761 – 16 November 1836) was a Cape Colony mycologist who is recognized as one of the founders of mycology, mycological Taxonomy (biology), taxonomy.
Early life
Persoon was born in Cape Colony at ...
reclassified it in the Kalanchoe (calling it ''Calanchoe pinnata 1805-1807'', with an orthographic variant). It was first published in Syn. Pl. vol.1 on page 446 in 1805.
At the same time, in London
London is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of both England and the United Kingdom, with a population of in . London metropolitan area, Its wider metropolitan area is the largest in Wester ...
, the botanist Richard Anthony Salisbury
Richard Anthony Salisbury (born Richard Anthony Markham; 2 May 1761 – 23 March 1829) was a British botanist. While he carried out valuable work in horticultural and botanical sciences, several bitter disputes caused him to be ostracised by hi ...
described the same plant from a specimen received from Bengal
Bengal ( ) is a Historical geography, historical geographical, ethnolinguistic and cultural term referring to a region in the Eastern South Asia, eastern part of the Indian subcontinent at the apex of the Bay of Bengal. The region of Benga ...
, under the name of ''Bryophyllum calycinum'', and at the same time created the new genus ''Bryophyllum''.
The specific Latin specific epithet
In Taxonomy (biology), taxonomy, binomial nomenclature ("two-term naming system"), also called binary nomenclature, is a formal system of naming species of living things by giving each a name composed of two parts, both of which use Latin gramm ...
"pinnata" is the feminine form of the Latin adjective ''pinnatus'', meaning "pinnate
Pinnation (also called pennation) is the arrangement of feather-like or multi-divided features arising from both sides of a common axis. Pinnation occurs in biological morphology, in crystals, such as some forms of ice or metal crystals, and ...
".
It has several local names in its native Madagascar: ''falatanantsifaona'', ''malainana'', ''rendadiaka'', ''sodifafana'' and ''tsilafafa''. In the Philippines, it is known as or which is an adjective meaning 'astonishing' or 'remarkable'.
The writer Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
Johann Wolfgang (von) Goethe (28 August 1749 – 22 March 1832) was a German polymath who is widely regarded as the most influential writer in the German language. His work has had a wide-ranging influence on Western literature, literary, Polit ...
(1749–1832), who was an amateur naturalist
Natural history is a domain of inquiry involving organisms, including animals, fungi, and plants, in their natural environment, leaning more towards observational than experimental methods of study. A person who studies natural history is cal ...
of some repute, was "passionately fond" of this plant and liked to give baby plantlets of the air plant, as gifts to friends who visited his home. He also discussed his air plant at length in an essay in 1817, titled in ("History of my botanical studies").
Cultivation
In temperate regions, ''Kalanchoe pinnata'' is grown as an indoor ornamental plant
Ornamental plants or ''garden plants'' are plants that are primarily grown for their beauty but also for qualities such as scent or how they shape physical space. Many flowering plants and garden varieties tend to be specially bred cultivars th ...
. Like most succulents, it cannot survive hard frost and will not thrive in environments in which the temperature drops below . It favours well-drained soil, the roots being otherwise susceptible to rot. In the tropics, ''K. pinnata'' is grown outdoors in gardens, from which it may escape to become naturalised - often as an invasive weed.
Toxicity and traditional medicine
In common with other species belonging to the Crassulaceae (including certain members of the genera ''Tylecodon
''Tylecodon'' is a genus of succulent plants in the family Crassulaceae, native to southern Africa.
Until the late 1970s all these plants were included in the genus ''Cotyledon'', but in 1978 Helmut Toelken of the Botanical Research Institute, ...
'', ''Cotyledon'' and ''Adromischus
''Adromischus'' is a genus of flowering plants. They are easily-propagated, leaf succulents from the family Crassulaceae, which are endemism, endemic to southern Africa. The name comes from the ancient Greek ''adros'' (=thick) and ''mischos'' (= ...
''), ''Kalanchoe pinnata'' has been found to contain bufadienolide
Bufadienolide is a chemical compound with steroid structure. Its derivatives are collectively known as bufadienolides, including many in the form of bufadienolide glycosides (bufadienolides that contain structural groups derived from sugars). These ...
cardiac glycosides
Cardiac glycosides are a class of organic compounds that increase the output force of the heart and decrease its rate of contractions by inhibiting the cellular sodium-potassium ATPase pump. Their beneficial medical uses include treatments for ...
These can cause cardiac poison
A poison is any chemical substance that is harmful or lethal to living organisms. The term is used in a wide range of scientific fields and industries, where it is often specifically defined. It may also be applied colloquially or figurati ...
ing, particularly in grazing animals.
''Bryophyllum pinnatum'' has been recorded in Trinidad and Tobago as being used as a traditional treatment for hypertension
Hypertension, also known as high blood pressure, is a Chronic condition, long-term Disease, medical condition in which the blood pressure in the artery, arteries is persistently elevated. High blood pressure usually does not cause symptoms i ...
.
In traditional medicine, the juice of the leaves is also used for kidney stones; although there is ongoing research into and some scientific evidence for this use, further research is required. In the French Antilles
The French West Indies or French Antilles (, ; ) are the parts of France located in the Antilles islands of the Caribbean:
* The two Overseas department and region of France, overseas departments of:
** Guadeloupe, including the islands of Bass ...
, ''Kalanchoe pinnata'' called locally as ''zeb maltet'', is used in local application against headaches
A headache, also known as cephalalgia, is the symptom of pain in the face, head, or neck. It can occur as a migraine, tension-type headache, or cluster headache. There is an increased risk of depression in those with severe headaches.
Head ...
. For the people of the Amazon, Kalanchoe has multiple uses: the Creoles use it roasted against inflammations and cancer
Cancer is a group of diseases involving Cell growth#Disorders, abnormal cell growth with the potential to Invasion (cancer), invade or Metastasis, spread to other parts of the body. These contrast with benign tumors, which do not spread. Po ...
and as an infusion, and as a popular remedy for fever
Fever or pyrexia in humans is a symptom of an anti-infection defense mechanism that appears with Human body temperature, body temperature exceeding the normal range caused by an increase in the body's temperature Human body temperature#Fever, s ...
s. The Palikur
The Palikur are an Indigenous people located in the riverine areas of the Brazilian state of Amapá and in French Guiana, particularly in the south-eastern border region, on the north bank of the Oyapock River. The Palikur Nation, or ''naoné'', ...
people of 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 ...
and French Guiana
French Guiana, or Guyane in French, is an Overseas departments and regions of France, overseas department and region of France located on the northern coast of South America in the Guianas and the West Indies. Bordered by Suriname to the west ...
apply a preparation of the juice of Kalanchoe leaves mixed with coconut oil to their foreheads to treat headache.
Chemical constituents
Bufadienolide
Bufadienolide is a chemical compound with steroid structure. Its derivatives are collectively known as bufadienolides, including many in the form of bufadienolide glycosides (bufadienolides that contain structural groups derived from sugars). These ...
compounds isolated from ''Bryophyllum pinnatum'' include bryophillin A, bersaldegenin-3-acetate, and bryophillin C. Bryophillin C also showed insecticidal properties.
Phytochemical studies of ''Kalanchoe pinnata'' have identified the presence of triterpene
Triterpenes are a class of terpenes composed of six isoprene units with the molecular formula C30H48; they may also be thought of as consisting of three terpene units. Animals, plants and fungi all produce triterpenes, including squalene, the pre ...
s, 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 ...
, phenanthrene
Phenanthrene is a polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) with formula C14H10, consisting of three fused benzene rings. It is a colorless, crystal-like solid, but can also appear yellow. Phenanthrene is used to make dyes, plastics, pesticides, expl ...
, flavonoid
Flavonoids (or bioflavonoids; from the Latin word ''flavus'', meaning yellow, their color in nature) are a class of polyphenolic secondary metabolites found in plants, and thus commonly consumed in the diets of humans.
Chemically, flavonoids ...
, flavones
Flavones (from Latin ''flavus'' "yellow") are a class of flavonoids based on the backbone of 2-phenylchromen-4-one (2-phenyl-1-benzopyran-4-one) (as shown in the first image of this article).
Flavones are common in foods, mainly from spices, and ...
, chalcone
Chalcone is the organic compound C6H5C(O)CH=CHC6H5. It is an α,β-unsaturated ketone. A variety of important biological compounds are known collectively as chalcones or chalconoids. They are widely known bioactive substances, fluorescent materi ...
s, taraxasterol, aurone
An aurone is a heterocyclic chemical compound, which is a type of flavonoid. There are two isomers of the molecule, with (''E'')- and (''Z'')-configurations. The molecule contains a benzofuran element associated with a benzylidene linked in posi ...
s, phenolic acid
Phenolic acids or phenolcarboxylic acids ? are phenolic compounds and types of aromatic acid compounds. Included in that class are substances containing a phenolic ring and an organic carboxylic acid function (C6-C1 skeleton). Two important nat ...
, caffeic acid
Caffeic acid is an organic compound with the formula . It is a polyphenol with a key role in scavenging reactive oxygen species (ROS) generated in energy metabolism. Caffeic acid is also one major polyphenol responsible for maintaining normal le ...
, syringic acid
Syringic acid is a naturally occurring phenolic compound and dimethoxybenzene that is commonly found as a plant metabolite.
Natural occurrence
Syringic acid can be found in several plants including '' Ardisia elliptica'' and ''Schumannianthus ...
, malic, oxalic and ferulic acid. Bufadienolide
Bufadienolide is a chemical compound with steroid structure. Its derivatives are collectively known as bufadienolides, including many in the form of bufadienolide glycosides (bufadienolides that contain structural groups derived from sugars). These ...
s and phenanthrene
Phenanthrene is a polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) with formula C14H10, consisting of three fused benzene rings. It is a colorless, crystal-like solid, but can also appear yellow. Phenanthrene is used to make dyes, plastics, pesticides, expl ...
are toxic compounds. Two calves fed for 48 hours with K. pinnata have been reported to have died due to ataxia
Ataxia (from Greek α- negative prefix+ -τάξις rder= "lack of order") is a neurological sign consisting of lack of voluntary coordination of muscle movements that can include gait abnormality, speech changes, and abnormalities in e ...
and severe cardiac arrhythmia
Arrhythmias, also known as cardiac arrhythmias, are irregularities in the heartbeat, including when it is too fast or too slow. Essentially, this is anything but normal sinus rhythm. A resting heart rate that is too fast – above 100 beat ...
.
Its antibacterial
An antibiotic is a type of antimicrobial substance active against bacteria. It is the most important type of antibacterial agent for fighting bacterial infections, and antibiotic medications are widely used in the treatment and prevention ...
activity has been studied.
Host plant
''Kalanchoe pinnata'' is a host plant of the Red Pierrot butterfly.
Gallery
File:Kalanchoe pinnata (Opened Flower).jpg, Closeup of opening flower
File:Kalanchoe pinnata Blanco1.147.png, ''Bryophyllum pinnatum'' illustrated in ''Flora de Filipinas'' by Francisco Manuel Blanco
Manuel María Blanco Ramos known as Manuel Blanco (1779 – 1845) was a Spanish friar and botanist.
Biography
Born in Navianos de Alba, Castilla y León, Spain, Blanco was a member of the Augustinian order of friars. His first assignment was ...
(O.S.A.)
File:Kalanchoe-pinnata veg reprod.jpg, Vegetative reproduction
File:Kalanchoe pinnata 3.jpg, Closeup of flowers
File:Kalanchoe pinnata (Flower).jpg, Flowers from underside
File:Starr 080327-3840 Kalanchoe pinnata.jpg, New flowers
File:Pinnata.JPG, Foliage
File:Red PierrotDSC 0302.JPG, Red Pierrot butterfly is resting on edge of a leaf.
File:Starr 070308-5341 Kalanchoe pinnata.jpg, Bush setting
File:Kalanchoe pinnata (Bryophyllum calycinum) - Jardim Botânico de Brasília - DSC09671.JPG, Botanical specimen
File:Vegetative Propagation in Bryophyllum leaf.jpg, Vegetative Propagation
Vegetative reproduction (also known as vegetative propagation, vegetative multiplication or cloning) is a form of asexual reproduction occurring in plants in which a new plant grows from a fragment or cutting of the parent plant or specializ ...
References
External links
*
*
{{Taxonbar, from=Q311188
pinnata
Endemic flora of Madagascar
Medicinal plants
House plants
Plants described in 1805