Bryophyllum is a group of plant species of the familyCrassulaceae that is usually included as a section within the genusKalanchoe, but has also been considered to be a separate genus. There are about forty species in the group, native to South Africa, Madagascar, and Asia. The group is notable for vegetatively growing small plantlets on phylloclade margins and tips. The plantlets drop off phyloclades and can root and grow into new plants in favorable places. The plantlets arise from mitosis of meristematic-type tissue in phyllocades. Nowadays, bryophyllums are naturalized in many parts of the tropics, and deliberately cultivated for their attractiveness, interesting reproduction by plantlets on phylloclades, or both.
Taxonomy
Bryophyllum is not universally accepted as a separate genus, being included in Kalanchoe by some authorities, within subfamily Kalanchoöideae. Since species of Bryophyllum appear to be nested within Kalanchoe on molecular phylogenetic analysis, Bryophyllum is considered as a section of the former.
Bryophyllum pinnatum: Air Plant. Native of Tropical Africa, cultivated or naturalized on many Pacific Islands. It is also called the "Goethe Plant" since the famous writer Johann Wolfgang von Goethe — who also was an amateur naturalist of some repute — was "passionately fond" of this plant and liked to give the baby plantlets as gifts to friends who visited his home. He also discussed his air plant at length in the essay that was titled Geschichte meiner botanischen Studien.
Bryophyllum delagoense
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Bryophyllum beauverdii
Bryophyllum bouvetii
Bryophyllum campanulatum
Bryophyllum fedtschenkoi
Bryophyllum gastonis-bonnieri
Bryophyllum laxiflorum
Bryophyllum macrochlamys
Bryophyllum manginii
Bryophyllum marnierianum
Bryophyllum miniatum
Bryophyllum proliferum
Bryophyllum pubescens
Bryophyllum rolandi-bonapartei
Bryophyllum rosei
Bryophyllum schizophyllum
Bryophyllum streptanthum
Bryophyllum suarezense
Bryophyllum uniflorum
Toxicity
Several species of Kalanchoe are economically important for causing cardiotoxic effects in sheep and cattle, and diseases affecting the nervous system and muscles known as krimpsiekte or as cotyledonosis. Bryophyllum pinnatum may have similar chemical components, bufadienolide alkaloids. There are many hybrids within Bryophyllum, and also hybrids with Kalanchoe such as Kalanchoe × crenatodaigremontiana or Houghton's Hybrid .
