Species
Bryophyllum pinnatum
Etymology
Bryophyllum: From the Greek bryo 'to sprout' and phyllon 'leaf' alluding to the leaves bearing plantlets around their edges
Common Name(s)
air plant
Family
Crassulaceae
Flora Category
Vascular - Exotic
Structural Class
Dicotyledonous Herbs other than Composites
Habitat
Terrestrial. Grows behind beaches on sand, forming dense stands in open places, also occurs in light shade under forest.
Features
A succulent that grows to about 1 m tall, with basal rosette. Stem is purple with green flecks, becoming slightly woody. Leaves are fleshy and alternate, coarsely toothed but rounded, edges of leaves are purple. Flowers occur in corymb/raceme and are bell-like and pendulous. Flower has four fused sepals with pointed tips; four fused petals are red and pointed at tip and green at base. Eight stamens with green filaments and purple anthers; four pistils stuck very close together are much shorter than stamen.
Similar Taxa
Can de distinguished from B. delagoense by the flat broadly elliptic leaves, uniform green or reddish-green, with prominent purple crenate margins.
Flowering
November, December, January, February, April, May
Flower Colours
Red / Pink
Year Naturalised
1977
Origin
Probably Madagascar but long naturalised in other tropical regions
Reason For Introduction
Ornamental
Reproduction
Flowers freely, but seed is doubtfully fertile. Probably vegetative spread.
Dispersal
Water, gravity.
Tolerances
Tolerates coastal conditions. Probably not hardy enough for southern regions of mainland NZ.
This page last updated on 18 Jan 2010