Crassulaceae
Kalanchoe

Kalanchoe thyrsiflora Harv.

First published in W.H.Harvey & auct. suc. (eds.), Fl. Cap. 2: 380 (1862)
This species is accepted
The native range of this species is S. Africa. It is a succulent biennial or subshrub and grows primarily in the desert or dry shrubland biome.

Descriptions

Crassulaceae, R. Fernandes. Flora Zambesiaca 7:1. 1983

Morphology General Habit
A completely glabrous biennal 0·75-1·30 m. high, succulent ± pulverulent with white, sticky powder.
Morphology Stem
Stem single, arising from the rosette of leaves of the previous year, simple, erect, stout, terete, up to 2·5 cm. in diameter at the base and ±1·25 cm. in diameter below the inflorescence, smooth, leafless below at flowering time and marked there with the very close scars of fallen leaves.
Morphology Leaves
Leaves decussate, denser towards the base of the stem, obtuse or rounded at the top, entire, sometimes with pinkish margin, sessile, connate at the base and semi-amplexicaul, slightly decurrent, thick, fleshy, concave on the upper face, somewhat convex on the under one, the lower 7-17·5 x 7-12·5 cm., obovate or obovate-spathulate, the median and the upper ones successively smaller, oblong or spathulate.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers
Flowers erect in ± dense axillary erect cymes forming a terminal thyrsoid panicle up to 30 cm. long and ± 8 cm. in diameter; pedicels 6·6-12 mm; long, somewhat thick.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx
Calyx-tube 1-1·5 mm. high; sepals 3-5·5(7) x 2-2·7 mm., ovate to oblong-lanceolate, acute or nearly obtuse.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla
Corolla-tube 11·5-15 mm. long and 6-7 mm. in diameter, suburceolate or ovoid-oblong, slightly contracted at the top, terete towards the base, distinctly 4-angular upwards, yellow or glaucous, pale and scarious-papyraceous on drying; corolla-lobes 3·25-5 x 3-4·5 mm., ovate to suborbicular, obtuse or rounded at the top, obsoletely apiculate, golden-yellow on the inner face, reflexed.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Androecium Stamens
Filaments of the upper (oppositipetalous) stamens 1·5-2 mm. long, inserted 1 mm. below the base of corolla-lobes, those of the lower ones (alternipetalous) c. 1 mm. long, inserted c. 1·5 below the sinuses between the corolla-lobes; anthers 1·3-1·4 mm. long, broadly ovate to subcircular, emarginate at the base, apiculate, those of the upper stamens completely exserted, the others included or their apices slightly above the sinuses of the corolla-lobes.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Follicles (12·5)13·5-15 mm. long, oblong-lanceolate; styles (1-5)2-5-3 mm., partially exserted.
Morphology General Scales
Scales (1·75)2-3 x (1)1·25-2 mm., rectangular, emarginate.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds
Seeds ± 0-3 mm., rounded at the top, longitudinally ribbed.
[FZ]

Extinction risk predictions for the world's flowering plants to support their conservation (2024). Bachman, S.P., Brown, M.J.M., Leão, T.C.C., Lughadha, E.N., Walker, B.E. https://nph.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/nph.19592

Conservation
Predicted extinction risk: not threatened. Confidence: confident
[AERP]

Sources

  • Angiosperm Extinction Risk Predictions v1

    • Angiosperm Threat Predictions
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0

  • Flora Zambesiaca

    • Flora Zambesiaca
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0

  • Kew Backbone Distributions

    • The International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants 2025. Published on the Internet at http://www.ipni.org and https://powo.science.kew.org/
    • © Copyright 2023 World Checklist of Vascular Plants. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0

  • Kew Names and Taxonomic Backbone

    • The International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants 2025. Published on the Internet at http://www.ipni.org and https://powo.science.kew.org/
    • © Copyright 2023 International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0

  • Kew Science Photographs

    • Copyright applied to individual images