| Bryophyllum | |
|---|---|
| |
| The "Goethe Plant", Kalanchoe pinnata, illustrated in Flora de Filipinas by Francisco Manuel Blanco | |
Scientific classification 
| |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Eudicots |
| Order: | Saxifragales |
| Family: | Crassulaceae |
| Genus: | Kalanchoe |
| Section: | Bryophyllum (Salisb.) Boiteau |
| Species | |
|
See text. | |
Bryophyllum (from the Greek βρῦον/βρύειν bryon/bryein = sprout, φύλλον phyllon = leaf) is a group of plant species of the family Crassulaceae native to Madagascar.[1] It is a section or subgenus within the genus Kalanchoe, and was formerly placed at the level of genus.[1] This section is notable for vegetatively growing small plantlets on the fringes of the leaves; these eventually drop off and root. These plantlets arise from mitosis of meristematic-type tissue in notches in the leaves.
Nowadays, bryophyllums are naturalized in many parts of the tropics and subtropics, and deliberately cultivated for their attractiveness or for their interesting reproduction as a vegetative reproductive plant.