Kalanchoe pumila.
The Flower Dust Plant is native to Madagascar.
The succulent perennial plants will grow on rocks, other plants or the ground.
They are a sub-shrub up to 20 or 30 cm high and 45 cm wide.
The erect to arching stems are branched.
The opposite and decussate leaves (in 4 ranks) have a very short or no petiole.
The base of the leaf does not clasp the stem.
The flat obovate leaves are up to 4.5 cm long and 2 cm wide.
The base is wedge-shaped and the tip rounded.
The edge has blunt teeth (crenate) on the distal half.
Leaves are blue-green with purplish edges and, when young are covered in a powdery white coating of Calcium carbonate.
Inflorescences are branched clusters of erect flowers.
They are on a stalk or pedicel up to 1 cm long.
Branches and pedicels have a white coating.
The calyx tube, around 1 mm long has 4 triangular lobes around 4 mm long.
The bell-shaped corolla tube is 1 cm long as are the 4 lobes.
The lobes, which have a mucro at the tip, curl back.
There are purple lines (veins) on the pink to purplish-pink lobes.
The 8 stamens are inserted, in 2 whorls onto the upper part of the corolla tube.
The filaments hold the bright yellow anthers in or just above the throat.
The ovary consists of 4 carpels around 1 cm long.
There is a nectary lobe (scale) at the base of each carpel.
The fruit are follicles.
J.F.
