Cathedral Bells

Appearance

The leaves of this species are thick, fleshy, elliptical in shape, curved, with a crenate or serrated margin, often reddish. Simple at the base of the stem, the leaves are imparipinnate at the top, 10–30 cm long, with three to five pairs of fleshy limb lobes.

The leaves are remarkable for their ability to produce bulbils. At their margin, between the teeth, adventitious buds appear, which produce roots, stems and leaves. When the plantlets fall to the ground, they root and can become larger plants. This is a fairly common trait in the section "Bryophyllum". The fruits are follicles which are found in the persistent calyx and corolla.

The terminal inflorescence is a panicle, with many pendent, red-orange flowers. The calyx is formed of a long tube, red at the base, veined with yellowish green, with four very small triangular lobes at the end. The tubular corolla, with a pronounced constriction separating the subspherical part of the ovoid part, is terminated by four lobes which reaches 5 cm in length. It is yellowish in color with red-purple streaks. The eight stamens, each about 4 cm long, are in two whorls, welded on the corolla. The ovary has four carpels, slightly fused together in the center, with slender styles.

Distribution

"Kalanchoe pinnata" is native to Madagascar. and has become naturalized in tropical and subtropical areas, inhabiting warm and temperate climates from sea level to 2,600 m, occupying sites on rock in tropical evergreen and dry deciduous forests, as well as montane forests. It is found in parts of Asia, Australia, New Zealand, the West Indies, Bermuda, the Philippines, Macaronesia, the Mascarenes, Brazil, Suriname, the Galapagos Islands, Melanesia, Polynesia, and Hawaii.
In many of these, such as Hawaii, it is regarded as an invasive species.
Much of the reason for the widespread naturalization of this plant can be traced to its popularity as a garden plant.