Kalanchoe pinnata, commonly known as cathedral bells, air plant, life plant, miracle leaf,Goethe plant, and love bush, is a succulent plant native to Madagascar. It is a popular houseplant 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 (now included in Kalanchoe).
| Kalanchoe pinnata | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Leaves and flowers | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Eudicots |
| Order: | Saxifragales |
| Family: | Crassulaceae |
| Genus: | Kalanchoe |
| Species: | K. pinnata |
| Binomial name | |
| Kalanchoe pinnata (Lam.) Pers. | |
| Synonyms | |
| |
It is a succulent, perennial plant, about 1 m (39 in) 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 or serrated margin, often reddish. Simple at the base of the stem, the leaves are imparipinnate at the top, 10–30 cm (4–12 in) long, with three to five pairs of fleshy limb lobes.
The leaves are remarkable for their ability to produce bulbils. 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 is a panicle, 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 part, is terminated by four lobes which reaches 5 cm (2.0 in) in length. It is yellowish in color with red-purple streaks. The eight stamens, each about 4 cm (1.6 in) long, are in two whorls, welded on the corolla. The ovary has four carpels, slightly fused together in the center, with slender styles.
Distribution
Kalanchoe pinnata is native to Madagascar. and has become naturalized in tropical and subtropical areas, inhabiting warm and temperate climates from sea level to 2,600 m (8,500 ft), occupying sites on rock in tropical evergreen and dry deciduous forests, as well as montane forests. It is found in parts of Asia, Africa, Australia, New Zealand, the West Indies, Bermuda, Macaronesia, the Mascarenes, Brazil, Suriname, the Galapagos Islands, Melanesia, Polynesia, and Hawaii. In many of these, such as Hawaii, it is regarded as an invasive species. 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 in Isle de France (Mauritius) and communicated to Lamarck who described it in 1786 as the Cotyledon pinnata. Subsequently, the Paris naturalist Christiaan Hendrik Persoon 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, the botanist Richard Anthony Salisbury described the same plant from a specimen received from Bengal, under the name of Bryophyllum calycinum, and at the same time created the new genus Bryophyllum.
The specific Latin specific epithet "pinnata" is the feminine form of the Latin adjective pinnatus, meaning "pinnate".
It has several local names in its native Madagascar: falatanantsifaona, malainana, rendadiaka, sodifafana and tsilafafa. In the Philippines, it is known as katakataka or kataka-taka which is an adjective meaning 'astonishing' or 'remarkable'.
The writer Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (1749–1832), who was an amateur naturalist 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 German: Geschichte meiner botanischen Studien ("History of my botanical studies").
Cultivation
In temperate regions, Kalanchoe pinnata is grown as an indoor ornamental plant. Like most succulents, it cannot survive hard frost and will not thrive in environments in which the temperature drops below 10 °C (50 °F). 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, Cotyledon and Adromischus), Kalanchoe pinnata has been found to contain bufadienolide cardiac glycosides These can cause cardiac poisoning, particularly in grazing animals.
Bryophyllum pinnatum has been recorded in Trinidad and Tobago as being used as a traditional treatment for hypertension.
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, Kalanchoe pinnata called locally as zeb maltet, is used in local application against headaches. For the people of the Amazon, Kalanchoe has multiple uses: the Creoles use it roasted against inflammations and cancer and as an infusion, and as a popular remedy for fevers. The Palikur people of Brazil and French Guiana apply a preparation of the juice of Kalanchoe leaves mixed with coconut oil to their foreheads to treat headache.
Chemical constituents
Bufadienolide compounds isolated from Bryophyllum pinnatum include , , and . Bryophillin C also showed insecticidal properties.
Phytochemical studies of Kalanchoe pinnata have identified the presence of triterpenes, steroid, phenanthrene, flavonoid, flavones, chalcones, taraxasterol, aurones, phenolic acid, caffeic acid, syringic acid, malic, oxalic and ferulic acid. Bufadienolides and phenanthrene are toxic compounds. Two calves fed for 48 hours with K. pinnata have been reported to have died due to ataxia and severe cardiac arrhythmia.
Its antibacterial activity has been studied.
Host plant
Kalanchoe pinnata is a host plant of the Red Pierrot butterfly.
Gallery
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Closeup of opening flower -
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Bryophyllum pinnatum illustrated in Flora de Filipinas by Francisco Manuel Blanco (O.S.A.) -
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Vegetative reproduction -
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Closeup of flowers -
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Flowers from underside -
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New flowers -
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Foliage -
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Red Pierrot butterfly is resting on edge of a leaf. -
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Bush setting -
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Botanical specimen -
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Vegetative Propagation
References
- "Kalanchoe pinnata (Lam.) Pers". Plants of the World Online. Kew Science. Retrieved 2020-10-14.
- "Kalanchoe pinnata". Germplasm Resources Information Network. Agricultural Research Service, United States Department of Agriculture. Retrieved 29 June 2022.
- Sad, Sadman (12 September 2020). "Goethe plant: A Unique Medicinal Plant". The Green Page. Retrieved 16 November 2023.
- Acevedo Rodríguez, Pedro; Rojas-Sandoval, Julissa (2022). "Kalanchoe pinnata (cathedral bells)". CABI Digital Library. doi:10.1079/cabicompendium.29328. Retrieved 3 December 2023.
- Ali Esmail Al Snafi, " The Chemical Constituents and Pharmacological Effects of Bryophyllum calycinum. A review , International Journal of Pharma Sciences and Research (IJPSR), vol. 4, n o 12,2013
- Kamboj Anjoo, Ajay Kumar Saluja," Microscopical and Preliminary Phytochemical Studies on Aerial Part (Leaves and Stem) of Bryophyllum pinnatum Kurz." PHCOG J., Vol. 2, n° 9, 2010, p. 254–9
- Batygina, T. B.; Bragina, E. A.; Titova, G. E. (1996). "Morphogenesis of propagules in viviparous species Bryophyllum daigremontianum and B. calycinum". Acta Societatis Botanicorum Poloniae. 65 (1–2): 127–133. doi:10.5586/asbp.1996.022.
- "Kalanchoe pinnata". Germplasm Resources Information Network. Agricultural Research Service, United States Department of Agriculture. Retrieved 2007-10-01.
- "Kalanchoe pinnata". Hawaii's Most Invasive Horticultural Plants. Archived from the original on 2007-11-03. Retrieved 2007-10-01.
- Bryophyllum calycinum Salisb. in Parad. Lond. 1: t. 3 (1805)
- V. Hequet Mr Le Corre, F. Rigault V. Blanfort " Invasive alien species of New Caledonia ", Southern Province Convention, vol. C153-08,2009
- Leslie Taylor, The Healing Power of Rainforest Herbs: A Guide to Understanding and Using Herbal Medicinals, Square One Publishers,2004, 268 p.
- de La Beaujardière, Jean-Marie, ed. (2001). "Botanical scientific names". Malagasy Dictionary and Malagasy Encyclopedia.
- "Katakataka". Philippine Medicinal Plants. Retrieved 2008-11-20.
- "Kataka-taka". Filipino Herbs Healing Wonders. Archived from the original on October 17, 2008. Retrieved 2008-11-20.
- "Katakataka It usually used as a medicine to cure kidney stone". Tagalog English Dictionary. Archived from the original on 2012-02-18. Retrieved 2008-11-20.
- "Johann Wolfgang von Goethe als Gartenfreund - der Botaniker und seine Studien". www.garten-literatur.de (in German). Retrieved 16 November 2023.
- Steyn, Pieter S; van Heerden, Fanie R. (1998). "Bufadienolides of plant and animal origin". Natural Product Reports. 15 (4). Royal Society of Chemistry: 397–413. doi:10.1039/a815397y. PMID 9736996. S2CID 30031690. Retrieved 2007-09-19.
- McKenzie RA; Dunster PJ (July 1986). "Hearts and flowers: Bryophyllum poisoning of cattle". Aust. Vet. J. 63 (7): 222–7. doi:10.1111/j.1751-0813.1986.tb03000.x. PMID 3778371.
- McKenzie RA; Franke FP; Dunster PJ (October 1987). "The toxicity to cattle and bufadienolide content of six Bryophyllum species". Aust. Vet. J. 64 (10): 298–301. doi:10.1111/j.1751-0813.1987.tb07330.x. PMID 3439945.
- Lans CA (2006). "Ethnomedicines used in Trinidad and Tobago for urinary problems and diabetes mellitus". J Ethnobiol Ethnomed. 2: 45. doi:10.1186/1746-4269-2-45. PMC 1624823. PMID 17040567.
- Hermann Jacobsen : The Succulent Encyclopedia . 3. Edition. Fischer, Jena 1983, p. 275.
- SUPRATMAN, Unang; FUJITA, Tomoyuki; AKIYAMA, Kohki; HAYASHI, Hideo; MURAKAMI, Akira; SAKAI, Hirofumi; KOSHIMIZU, Koichi; OHIGASHI, Hajime (2001). "Anti-tumor Promoting Activity of Bufadienolides from Kalanchoe pinnata and K. daigremontiana × butiflora". Bioscience, Biotechnology, and Biochemistry. 65 (4). Oxford University Press (OUP): 947–949. doi:10.1271/bbb.65.947. ISSN 0916-8451. PMID 11388478.
- SUPRATMAN, Unang; FUJITA, Tomoyuki; AKIYAMA, Kohki; HAYASHI, Hideo (2000). "New Insecticidal Bufadienolide, Bryophyllin C, fromKalanchoe pinnata". Bioscience, Biotechnology, and Biochemistry. 64 (6). Informa UK Limited: 1310–1312. doi:10.1271/bbb.64.1310. ISSN 0916-8451. PMID 10923811.
- Bernard Descoings: Kalanchoe pinnata . In: Urs Eggli (ed.): Succulent lexicon. Crassulaceae (thick-leaved plants) . Eugen Ulmer, Stuttgart 2003, ISBN 3-8001-3998-7, p 175
- Baishya, D.; Sharma, N.; Bora, R. (2012). "Green synthesis of silver nanoparticles using Brophyllum pinnatum and monitoring their antibacterial activity". Achieves of Applied Science Research. 4: 2098–2104.
- Ravikanthachari Nitin; V.C. Balakrishnan; Paresh V. Churi; S. Kalesh; Satya Prakash; Krushnamegh Kunte (2018-04-10). "Larval host plants of the buterfies of the Western Ghats, India". Journal of Threatened Taxa. 10 (4): 11495–11550. doi:10.11609/jott.3104.10.4.11495-11550 – via JoTT.
260. Bryophyllum pinnatum (Lam.) Oken: Talicada nyseus nyseus (Lycaenidae)
External links
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Media related to Kalanchoe pinnata at Wikimedia Commons![image]()
Data related to Kalanchoe pinnata at Wikispecies
Kalanchoe pinnata commonly known as cathedral bells air plant life plant miracle leaf Goethe plant and love bush is a succulent plant native to Madagascar It is a popular houseplant 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 now included in Kalanchoe Kalanchoe pinnataLeaves and flowersScientific classificationKingdom PlantaeClade TracheophytesClade AngiospermsClade EudicotsOrder SaxifragalesFamily CrassulaceaeGenus KalanchoeSpecies K pinnataBinomial nameKalanchoe pinnata Lam Pers SynonymsBryophyllum calcicola H Perrier V V Byalt Bryophyllum calycinum Salisb Bryophyllum germinans Blanco Bryophyllum pinnatum Lam Oken Cotyledon calycina Roth Cotyledon calyculata Sol ex Sims Cotyledon pinnata Lam Cotyledon rhizophylla Roxb Crassula pinnata Lam L f Crassuvia floripendia Comm ex Lam Kalanchoe brevicalyx Raym Hamet amp H Perrier Boiteau Kalanchoe calcicola H Perrier Boiteau Kalanchoe floripendula Steud It is a succulent perennial plant about 1 m 39 in tall with fleshy cylindrical stems and young growth of a reddish tinge which can be found in flower throughout most of the year DescriptionThe leaves of this species are thick fleshy elliptical in shape curved with a crenate or serrated margin often reddish Simple at the base of the stem the leaves are imparipinnate at the top 10 30 cm 4 12 in long with three to five pairs of fleshy limb lobes The leaves are remarkable for their ability to produce bulbils 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 is a panicle 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 part is terminated by four lobes which reaches 5 cm 2 0 in in length It is yellowish in color with red purple streaks The eight stamens each about 4 cm 1 6 in long are in two whorls welded on the corolla The ovary has four carpels slightly fused together in the center with slender styles DistributionKalanchoe pinnata is native to Madagascar and has become naturalized in tropical and subtropical areas inhabiting warm and temperate climates from sea level to 2 600 m 8 500 ft occupying sites on rock in tropical evergreen and dry deciduous forests as well as montane forests It is found in parts of Asia Africa Australia New Zealand the West Indies Bermuda Macaronesia the Mascarenes Brazil Suriname the Galapagos Islands Melanesia Polynesia and Hawaii In many of these such as Hawaii it is regarded as an invasive species Much of the reason for the widespread naturalization of this plant can be traced to its popularity as a garden plant Taxonomy and nomenclatureThe plant Kalanchoe pinnata was harvested by Pierre Sonnerat in Isle de France Mauritius and communicated to Lamarck who described it in 1786 as the Cotyledon pinnata Subsequently the Paris naturalist Christiaan Hendrik Persoon 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 the botanist Richard Anthony Salisbury described the same plant from a specimen received from Bengal under the name of Bryophyllum calycinum and at the same time created the new genus Bryophyllum The specific Latin specific epithet pinnata is the feminine form of the Latin adjective pinnatus meaning pinnate It has several local names in its native Madagascar falatanantsifaona malainana rendadiaka sodifafana and tsilafafa In the Philippines it is known as katakataka or kataka taka which is an adjective meaning astonishing or remarkable The writer Johann Wolfgang von Goethe 1749 1832 who was an amateur naturalist 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 German Geschichte meiner botanischen Studien History of my botanical studies CultivationIn temperate regions Kalanchoe pinnata is grown as an indoor ornamental plant Like most succulents it cannot survive hard frost and will not thrive in environments in which the temperature drops below 10 C 50 F 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 medicineIn common with other species belonging to the Crassulaceae including certain members of the genera Tylecodon Cotyledon and Adromischus Kalanchoe pinnata has been found to contain bufadienolide cardiac glycosides These can cause cardiac poisoning particularly in grazing animals Bryophyllum pinnatum has been recorded in Trinidad and Tobago as being used as a traditional treatment for hypertension 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 Kalanchoe pinnata called locally as zeb maltet is used in local application against headaches For the people of the Amazon Kalanchoe has multiple uses the Creoles use it roasted against inflammations and cancer and as an infusion and as a popular remedy for fevers The Palikur people of Brazil and French Guiana apply a preparation of the juice of Kalanchoe leaves mixed with coconut oil to their foreheads to treat headache Chemical constituents Bufadienolide compounds isolated from Bryophyllum pinnatum include and Bryophillin C also showed insecticidal properties Phytochemical studies of Kalanchoe pinnata have identified the presence of triterpenes steroid phenanthrene flavonoid flavones chalcones taraxasterol aurones phenolic acid caffeic acid syringic acid malic oxalic and ferulic acid Bufadienolides and phenanthrene are toxic compounds Two calves fed for 48 hours with K pinnata have been reported to have died due to ataxia and severe cardiac arrhythmia Its antibacterial activity has been studied Host plantKalanchoe pinnata is a host plant of the Red Pierrot butterfly GalleryCloseup of opening flower Bryophyllum pinnatum illustrated in Flora de Filipinas by Francisco Manuel Blanco O S A Vegetative reproduction Closeup of flowers Flowers from underside New flowers Foliage Red Pierrot butterfly is resting on edge of a leaf Bush setting Botanical specimen Vegetative PropagationReferences Kalanchoe pinnata Lam Pers Plants of the World Online Kew Science Retrieved 2020 10 14 Kalanchoe pinnata Germplasm Resources Information Network Agricultural Research Service United States Department of Agriculture Retrieved 29 June 2022 Sad Sadman 12 September 2020 Goethe plant A Unique Medicinal Plant The Green Page Retrieved 16 November 2023 Acevedo Rodriguez Pedro Rojas Sandoval Julissa 2022 Kalanchoe pinnata cathedral bells CABI Digital Library doi 10 1079 cabicompendium 29328 Retrieved 3 December 2023 Ali Esmail Al Snafi The Chemical Constituents and Pharmacological Effects of Bryophyllum calycinum A review International Journal of Pharma Sciences and Research IJPSR vol 4 n o 12 2013 Kamboj Anjoo Ajay Kumar Saluja Microscopical and Preliminary Phytochemical Studies on Aerial Part Leaves and Stem of Bryophyllum pinnatum Kurz PHCOG J Vol 2 n 9 2010 p 254 9 Batygina T B Bragina E A Titova G E 1996 Morphogenesis of propagules in viviparous species Bryophyllum daigremontianum and B calycinum Acta Societatis Botanicorum Poloniae 65 1 2 127 133 doi 10 5586 asbp 1996 022 Kalanchoe pinnata Germplasm Resources Information Network Agricultural Research Service United States Department of Agriculture Retrieved 2007 10 01 Kalanchoe pinnata Hawaii s Most Invasive Horticultural Plants Archived from the original on 2007 11 03 Retrieved 2007 10 01 Bryophyllum calycinum Salisb in Parad Lond 1 t 3 1805 V Hequet Mr Le Corre F Rigault V Blanfort Invasive alien species of New Caledonia Southern Province Convention vol C153 08 2009 Leslie Taylor The Healing Power of Rainforest Herbs A Guide to Understanding and Using Herbal Medicinals Square One Publishers 2004 268 p de La Beaujardiere Jean Marie ed 2001 Botanical scientific names Malagasy Dictionary and Malagasy Encyclopedia Katakataka Philippine Medicinal Plants Retrieved 2008 11 20 Kataka taka Filipino Herbs Healing Wonders Archived from the original on October 17 2008 Retrieved 2008 11 20 Katakataka It usually used as a medicine to cure kidney stone Tagalog English Dictionary Archived from the original on 2012 02 18 Retrieved 2008 11 20 Johann Wolfgang von Goethe als Gartenfreund der Botaniker und seine Studien www garten literatur de in German Retrieved 16 November 2023 Steyn Pieter S van Heerden Fanie R 1998 Bufadienolides of plant and animal origin Natural Product Reports 15 4 Royal Society of Chemistry 397 413 doi 10 1039 a815397y PMID 9736996 S2CID 30031690 Retrieved 2007 09 19 McKenzie RA Dunster PJ July 1986 Hearts and flowers Bryophyllum poisoning of cattle Aust Vet J 63 7 222 7 doi 10 1111 j 1751 0813 1986 tb03000 x PMID 3778371 McKenzie RA Franke FP Dunster PJ October 1987 The toxicity to cattle and bufadienolide content of six Bryophyllum species Aust Vet J 64 10 298 301 doi 10 1111 j 1751 0813 1987 tb07330 x PMID 3439945 Lans CA 2006 Ethnomedicines used in Trinidad and Tobago for urinary problems and diabetes mellitus J Ethnobiol Ethnomed 2 45 doi 10 1186 1746 4269 2 45 PMC 1624823 PMID 17040567 Hermann Jacobsen The Succulent Encyclopedia 3 Edition Fischer Jena 1983 p 275 SUPRATMAN Unang FUJITA Tomoyuki AKIYAMA Kohki HAYASHI Hideo MURAKAMI Akira SAKAI Hirofumi KOSHIMIZU Koichi OHIGASHI Hajime 2001 Anti tumor Promoting Activity of Bufadienolides from Kalanchoe pinnata and K daigremontiana butiflora Bioscience Biotechnology and Biochemistry 65 4 Oxford University Press OUP 947 949 doi 10 1271 bbb 65 947 ISSN 0916 8451 PMID 11388478 SUPRATMAN Unang FUJITA Tomoyuki AKIYAMA Kohki HAYASHI Hideo 2000 New Insecticidal Bufadienolide Bryophyllin C fromKalanchoe pinnata Bioscience Biotechnology and Biochemistry 64 6 Informa UK Limited 1310 1312 doi 10 1271 bbb 64 1310 ISSN 0916 8451 PMID 10923811 Bernard Descoings Kalanchoe pinnata In Urs Eggli ed Succulent lexicon Crassulaceae thick leaved plants Eugen Ulmer Stuttgart 2003 ISBN 3 8001 3998 7 p 175 Baishya D Sharma N Bora R 2012 Green synthesis of silver nanoparticles using Brophyllum pinnatum and monitoring their antibacterial activity Achieves of Applied Science Research 4 2098 2104 Ravikanthachari Nitin V C Balakrishnan Paresh V Churi S Kalesh Satya Prakash Krushnamegh Kunte 2018 04 10 Larval host plants of the buterfies of the Western Ghats India Journal of Threatened Taxa 10 4 11495 11550 doi 10 11609 jott 3104 10 4 11495 11550 via JoTT 260 Bryophyllum pinnatum Lam Oken Talicada nyseus nyseus Lycaenidae External linksMedia related to Kalanchoe pinnata at Wikimedia Commons Data related to Kalanchoe pinnata at Wikispecies
