Kalanchoe sect. Pubescentes (A.Berger) Gideon F.Sm.

Smith, Gideon F., 2024, An alternative subgeneric classification of Kalanchoe (Crassulaceae subfam. Cotyledonoideae) globally: a nomenclatural and taxonomic review, with a new status for K. subg. Pubescentes, Phytotaxa 665 (3), pp. 201-220 : 212-213

C.1 Kalanchoe sect. Pubescentes (A.Berger) Gideon F.Sm. , sect. nov. ( Fig. 8 ).

Basionym:— K. [infragen. unranked] Pubescentes Berger (1930: 404, 407, as “§ 5”).

Homotypic synonym:— Kalanchoe subg. Pubescentes (A.Berger) Smith (2024g: 280) .

Type:— K. pubescens Baker (1887: 470) (see Smith 2020d: 52–53).

Designations not validly published:—“ Kalanchoe [sect. Bryophyllum ] sub sect. Centrales ” Boiteau (1947: 8), nom. inval. ( Turland et al. 2018: Art. 39.1); “ Kalanchoe [sect. Bryophyllum ] [infragen. unranked, as “§”] Centrales ” Boiteau & Mannoni (1948b: 23), nom. inval. ( Turland et al. 2018: Art. 39.1).

Nomenclatural notes:—Apart from the two designations K. sub sect. Centrales ” and “ K. [infragen. unranked, as “§”] Centrales ” not having been validly published because they lacked a Latin description or diagnosis ( Turland et al. 2018: Art. 39.1), Boiteau (1947: 8), at first, did not indicate which of the species he assigned to K. sect. Bryophyllum should be included in the not validly published “ K. subsect. Centrales ”.

Description:—Perennial or biennial, terrestrial, epiphytic, or lithophytic, herbaceous, extensively or at least sparsely pubescent, creeping to leaning to erect, succulent subshrubs. Roots fibrous, plants sprouting from roots very uncommon. Stems hard-wiry to flexuose to rigid. Leaves variously shaped, not bulbiliferous, petiolate to sessile. Inflorescence bulbiliferous, bulbil clusters dense, long-lasting; pedicels broader towards flower. Flowers pendulous to spreading, brightly coloured; calyx tube formed by fusion of ± ⅓ to ½ of sepals, fused portion ± rounded to flattened basally, free portion generally adpressed to corolla tube; corolla generally somewhat succulent, often adorned with darker, contrasting veins, often pubescent; corolla tube 4-angled to longitudinally fluted lower down, constricted there, campanulate-urceolate to cylindrical above; stamens inserted below middle of corolla tube; anthers ± exserted to well-exserted; carpels narrowly oblong, basally connivent, somewhat to much shorter than styles; nectar scales variously shaped, longer to shorter than wide, never linear, slightly indented above. Chromosome number (basic): x = 17.

Kalanchoe sect. Pubescentes is naturally endemic to Madagascar.

Figures

FIGURE 8. The inflorescences of Kalanchoe manginii Raymond-Hamet & Perrier de la Bâthie (1912: 370) are distinctly smallbulbiliferous post-flowering through the formation of dense, long-lasting bulbil clusters. Kalanchoe manginii is a representative of K. sect. Pubescentes. Photograph: Gideon F. Smith.