Plant of the Week 09/15/2003: Donkey-ears (Bryophyllum gastonis-bonnieri)

Plant of the Week 09/15/2003

Donkey-ears (Bryophyllum gastonis-bonnieri)

Bryophyllum gastonis-bonnieri (Hamet & Perrier) Lauzac-Marchal

Photographed by: Chelsie Vandaveer
Credits: Photographed Donkey-ears gift from Robert Schill
Other Information: Olympus C-4000 Digital

Until recently, the donkey-ears was classified as one of the 130 or so species of Kalanchoe [ka lank' o ee]. Although not all authorities accept the name change, Kalanchoe will be reserved for those plants with upright flowers and Bryophyllum for those with pendant flowers. But Bryophyllum has one other special distinction. The plants are capable of vivipary, reproducing by vegetative apomixis. Plantlets form on the edges of the leaves.

Donkey-ears (Bryophyllum gastonis-bonnieri (Hamet & Perrier) Lauzac-Marchal) is native to Madagascar. The long leaves are wavy and have regularly scattered dark mottles. Donkey-ears reproduce only at the apex (tip) of the leaves.

As soon as the plantlets have a few roots, they can be removed and placed on the surface of the soil. Bryophyllum plantlets are often shared between plant collectors resulting in such names as friendship plants and pregnant plants. Left to themselves, donkey-ears plantlets root around the parent plant forming colonies.

Bryophyllum.com is a beautiful and well-organized website about the "viviparous crassulas". To learn more about the plants and other closely related succulents, click on the link: http://www.bryophyllum.com/index.php