Bryophyllum fedtschenkoi (Kalanchoe fedtschenkoi).
Native to Madagascar ‘Lavender Scallops’ is naturalised, and a weed in S.E. Queensland.
The succulent perennial plants can grow up to 60 cm high.
As well as erect stems they also have stems that lie along the ground and root.
These, and fallen plantlets can lead to the formation of dense clumps.
The smooth hairless round stems have scars from old leaves.
They are green, grey, bluish-green or pale purple often with a whitish or bluish coating.
The simple leaves are opposite and decussate (in 4 ranks).
They have a round petiole up to 0.5 cm long that may be twisted.
The ovate, obovate to oblong blades, with a rounded tip are up to 19 cm long by 8 cm wide.
The edges have small blunt lobes (crenate) either near the tip or all around.
Leaves are green but may look blue to grey-green due to the waxy coating.
They commonly have a narrow pink or brownish margin.
When stressed the whole blade is a mix of yellow, red and pink to purple or lavender.
Small bulbils or plantlets grow from the leaf edge or from the branches of old inflorescences.
Terminal inflorescences are dense branched clusters of pendant flowers.
Each branch, up to 5 cm long has flowers that open from the tip down.
The tubular flowers, with parts in 4’s are on stalks up to 2 cm long.
The sepals are fused for most of their length with 4 pointed lobes around 6 mm long.
The calyx is a grey-green to dusky pink.
The fused petals form a tube around 2.5 cm long with 4 lobes that have a rounded tip.
Petals are described as coral, orange-red or apricot.
The 8 stamens, in 2 whorls insert near the base of the corolla tube.
The superior ovary has 4 carpels fused at the base.
There is a small nectary at the base of each.
The fruit consist of 4 thin, dry follicles usually covered by the old flower parts.
Each follicle has numerous tiny seeds.
There are a number of cultivars with leaves having cream edges or streaks.
These are sold as ‘Creamed Scallops’, ‘Marginata’ and Variegata’.
J.F.
