Kalanchoe blossfeldiana.
Family Crassulaceae > Subfamily Sedoideae > Tribe Kalanchoeae.
Flaming Katy is native to Madagascar.
A perennial succulent herb or subshrub usually seen around 30 cm high but they can grow to 50 cm.
The green to reddish stems are mainly erect.
The fleshy leaves are opposite and in 4 ranks (decussate).
On a petiole up to around 2.5 cm long the blade is up to 10 cm long and 6 cm wide.
The blade can be ovate, obovate, elliptic or oblong.
The tip is rounded, the base wedge-shaped and the upper half of the blade typically has blunt teeth (crenate).
Leaves are dark green but over time and in bright sunlight they may become reddish.
Inflorescences are dense terminal branched cymes.
Cymes have the terminal flower on each branch opening first.
The whole inflorescence can be up to 50 cm long and around 30 cm across.
The small erect flowers are on a green and red pedicel up to around 3 cm long.
The calyx has a tubular base 1 mm or so long with 4 lobes 5 to 10 mm long.
The green to reddish triangular lobes have a pointed tip.
The 4-angled corolla tube, up to 15 mm long has 4 spreading lobes 4 mm long.
The tube is yellow-green and the scarlet lobes have a pointed tip.
The 8 stamens are in 2 whorls with 4 inserted near the top of the corolla tube and the other whorl half way down it.
The yellow filaments are 5 mm long and the anthers 0.2 mm.
There are nectary lobes (scales) at the base of the ovary.
The conical ovary, of 4 carpels is around 5 mm long.
The green styles, around 2 mm long have a spherical stigma.
Each ovary can develop into 4 pale green follicles each with numerous pale brown seeds.
There are many cultivars in a wide range of colours – shades of red, yellow and orange as well as white.
They can be singles but most are doubles.
Kalanchoe blossfeldiana ‘Queen Jodie’ has pink flowers.
Kalanchoe blossfeldiana ‘Queen Lindsay’ has yellow flowers.
Kalanchoe blossfeldiana ‘Lanin’ has orange flowers.
J.F.
