Kalanchoe

HUMIFICA  Descoings, 2005 (engl./ fr.)

Section Bryophyllum

Type : Descoings 28314, no longer extant. Lectotype : Plate 4 of the protologue. Epitype : Miyata et al. 15031401.

Distribution : Madagascar (Tsingy de Bemaraha, Antsalova, W Madagascar).

 

 

Description by B. Descoings (summary) :

 

Upright growing plant, to 40 - 50 cm and more tall, succulent, glabrous, green.

 

Stem to 15 mm thick, not branched, internodes 3 - 5 cm.

 

Leaves decussate, petiolate, simple, succulent, petiole 2 - 5 cm long, cylindric, flat on upper side and distinctly canaliculate, ± 5 mm thick, not sheathing, leaf 10 - 25 x 6 - 8 cm, lanceolate, apex distinctly acuminate, acumen 10 - 15 mm long, base asymmetrically rounded, margins irregularly  serrate, with bulbils between the dents.

 

No flowers seen yet.

Amended description by Miyata et al., (J. Jpn. Bot. 91: 13-18. 2016) :

Perennial herbs.

Roots simple or with several branches, stout.

Stem erect, terete, glabrous, to 270 cm tall, ca 4 cm in diameter at base, dark green.

Leaves opposite, decussate, fleshy, simple, petiolate, 15 -- 45 cm long, 8 - 14 cm wide, 0.5 - 1 mm thick, middle ones larger, upper ones smaller and narrower, petiole terete, shallowly grooved on uper side, 5 - 12 cm long, 5 - 10 mm thick, glabrous, light green, leaf blade oblong to lanceolate, 10 - 33 cm long, base slightly cordate to rounded, often oblique, margin undulate to crenate, apex acute to acuminate, both surfaces glabrous, light to dark green, often secreting nectar on lower surface.

Marginal bulbils with several leaves, leaves on bulbils ovate, dark gray, 3 - 5 mm long, 2 - 4 mm wide.

Inflorescence terminal or lateral from upper cauline leaves, a flat topped cyme, lax, to 90 cm long, 30 cm wide, peduncle glabrous, light green, pedicels 8 - 13 mm long, glabrous, light green.

Flowers pendulous, calyx narrowly campanulate, 15 - 18 mm long, light green with light brown shading, tube 11 - 13 mm long, 7 - 8 mm wide, lobes triangular-ovate, 4 - 5 mm long, 4.5 - 5.5 mm wide, apex acute, corolla narrowly campanulate, 2.3 - 2.5 cm long, tube 1.5 - 1.6 cm long, lower 1/3 light green upper 2/3 pale light brown, lobes narrowly ovate, 8 - 9 mm long, 4 - 5 mm wide, erect, slightly recurved, apex acute, pale light brown.

Cytology : 2n = 34.

 

Because the original description was based on immature vegetative material, the sizes of some characters are much smaller than in the mature plant.

 

Description intégrale française 

 

Photos by Sven Bernhard

 

Photos Ralph Mangelsdorff

Photo Balz Schneider

Photos Bernard Descoings

Photos Ronen Shtein

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