Notes on Kalanchoe subg. Bryophyllum (Crassulaceae subfam. Kalanchooideae) and the kalanchoes of Sijfert H. Koorders (1919)
Author
Smith, Gideon F.
text
Phytotaxa
2022
2022-06-02
549
1
87
96
journal article
63569
10.11646/phytotaxa.549.1.7
0fdf8203-31ff-4797-b965-9107c9a03674
1179-3163
6605373
Bryophyllum
recognised as a subgenus in
Kalanchoe
by
Koorders (1919)
Koorders (1919: 169–170)
stated: “Eine vergleichende Untersuchung der 2 bisher von
Java
bekannten Crassulaceae-Gattungen
Kalanchoë
und
Bryophyllum
hat mich zu der Ueberzeugung geführt, dass es Empfehlung verdient
Bryophyllum
als Gattung einzuziehen und mit
Kalanchoë
zu vereinigen. Ein durchgreifender Unterschied zwischen diesen beiden Gattungen giebt es, soweit ich feststellen konnte, nicht, weil einige (ausserhalb
Java
vorkommende)
Kalanchoë
- Arten bekannt sind, welche Kelchblätter besitzen, die bis zur Mitte mit einander verwachsen sind und dadurch einen natürlichen Uebergang bilden zu der Gattung
Bryophyllum
, die sich nur durch einen bauchigkurzzipfeligen Kelch nur unbedeutend von
Kalanchoë
(im engeren Sinne) unterscheidet.” [English: “A comparative investigation of the two
Crassulaceae
genera hitherto known from
Java
,
Kalanchoe
and
Bryophyllum
, has led me to the conviction that it deserves recommendation to combine the genus
Bryophyllum
with
Kalanchoe
. As far as I could determine, there is no fundamental difference between these two genera, because some
Kalanchoe
species
(occurring outside
Java
[an island in
Indonesia
]) are known that have sepals fused with each other up to the middle, and thereby form a natural transition to the genus
Bryophyllum
, which differs only insignificantly from
Kalanchoe
(sensu stricto) by a bulbous, short-lobed calyx.”]
Koorders (1919: 170)
then formally includes
Bryophyllum
in
Kalanchoe
when he states “Mit Einschluss von
Bryophyllum
[in
Kalanchoe
]”, and in the key to the species of the entire island [“Arten der Gesamtinsel”] gives the rank of
Bryophyllum
, under
Kalanchoe
, as “Untergattung”, i.e., subgenus. This is regarded as
Koorders (1919: 170)
having provided indirect reference to
Salisbury (1805
: t. 3), where the genus name
Bryophyllum
was published (see
Turland
et al
. 2018
: Art. 41.4).
Koorders (1919: 170)
additionally recognised the subgenus ‘
K
. subg.
Eukalanchoe
’,
nom. inval
., i.e.,
K
. subg.
Kalanchoe
. However, epithets for subdivisions of a genus may not consist of the name of the genus with the prefix “
Eu
-” and a subdivision of a genus that includes the
type
of the genus must repeat the name of the genus unaltered (
Turland
et al
. 2018
: Art. 21.3 and Ex. 3, and Articles 22.1 and 22.2).
When treated as a subgenus of
Kalanchoe
, the nomenclature of
Bryophyllum
, i.e., as
K
. subg.
Bryophyllum
, resolves as follows:
Kalanchoe
Adanson (1763: 248)
subg.
Bryophyllum
(Salisb.)
Koorders (1919: 170)
.
Basionym
:—
Bryophyllum
Salisbury (1805
: t. 3).
Homotypic synonym
:—
Kalanchoe
sect.
Bryophyllum
(Salisb.) Boiteau (1947: 7)
,
pro parte
, excluding
K. porphyrocalyx
(Baker 1883: 142) Baillon (1885: 469)
(Smith & Shtein 2021: 234–235).
Type
:—
Bryophyllum calycinum
Salisbury (1805
: t. 3), currently accepted name
Kalanchoe pinnata
(
Lamarck 1786: 141
)
Persoon (1805: 446)
. See
Wickens (1987: 27)
, Farr & Zijlstra (1996+),
Smith & Figueiredo (2018a: 169)
, and
Smith & Figueiredo (2018b: 222)
.
Nomenclatural notes
:—Note that
Wickens (1987: 27)
included
Physocalycium
Vest (1820: 409)
,
nom. illeg
. (
Turland
et al
. 2018
: Art. 52.1) in the synonymy of
Bryophyllum
. However,
Physocalycium
, with
Vereia crenata
Andrews
(1798: t. 21), a synonym of the African
K. crenata
(Andrews)
Haworth (1812: 109)
, the only element having been included, is representative of
K
. subg.
Kalanchoe
.
Physocalycium
therefore does not belong in the synonymy of
Bryophyllum
, or in that of
K
. subg.
Bryophyllum
, for that matter.
Some species better accommodated in
K
. subg.
Bryophyllum
were previously included in
Kitchingia
,
pro parte
, excluding type, and in
Kalanchoe
sect.
Kitchingia
(Baker) Boiteau (1947: 7)
,
pro parte
, excluding type. The
lectotype
of
Kitchingia
is
Kitchingia gracilipes
Baker (1881: 268)
, which was designated by
Smith & Figueiredo (2018a: 169)
; its currently accepted name is
Kalanchoe gracilipes
(Baker) Baillon (1885: 469)
.
Diagnosis
:—Species and infraspecific taxa included in
K
. subg.
Bryophyllum
, and nothospecies derived from intra-subgenus hybridisation generally have a perennial, biennial, or short-lived multiannual
lifespan
, with plants being
terrestrial
and ±
herbaceous
to
brittle-woody
. Representatives of
K
. subg.
Bryophyllum
differ from taxa included in other subgenera recognised in
Kalanchoe
by variously developing
bulbils
on the leaf blade margins, typically at the indentations between crenations or teeth, i.e., they are
phyllo-bulbiliferous
(not observed in the case of
K. streptantha
Baker (1887: 472)
[see
Smith & Figueiredo 2021: 199
]); by having tetramerous
flowers
that are usually distinctly pendulous at anthesis; by the
sepals
usually being substantially fused into a conspicuous tube; a
corolla tube
that is often substantially obscured by the
calyx tube
, especially lower down at the level of the
carpels
; by having the
corolla tube
indented-constricted ± above the
carpels
so often giving it a bulbous appearance; by the
filaments
being ± inserted in the lower ⅓ of the corolla tube and often being adnate to the corolla very low down; by the
anthers
being ± exserted or at least distinctly visible at the mouth; by having four
filaments
of two similar lengths; by having the carpels shorter than the styles; and by having
nectar scales
that are generally wider than long. Several representatives of
K
. subg.
Bryophyllum
have
developed multiple reproductive mechanisms
and have a tendency to become
naturalised and weedy
in places well separated from their natural distribution ranges in
Madagascar
(
Smith
et al
. 2021c
).