Identification key to the Kalanchoe taxa variously naturalised in the Euro-Mediterranean region

1. Flowers borne erectly at anthesis .......................................................................................................................................................2

1’. Flowers pendent at anthesis................................................................................................................................................................3

2. Corolla lobes scarlet, uni-chromatic .......................................................................................................................... K. blossfeldiana

2’. Corolla lobes white, creamy, yellow, greenish, or orange-red ...........................................................................................................3

3. Leaf blade much reduced, cylindrical; corolla lobes orange-red ................................................................................. K. delagoensis

3’. Leaf blade usually large, flat or longitudinally upcurved, variously shaped; corolla lobes white, creamy, yellow, or greenish.......4

4. Corolla lobes white to creamy, flowers> 45 mm long ................................................................................................. K. marmorata

4’. Corolla lobes yellow or greenish, corolla tube and corolla lobes often different shades of same colour..........................................5

5. Leaf blade uniformly dark green to red-infused to crimson red, usually folded longitudinally ................................. K. sexangularis

5’. Leaf blade often with darker mottling, greenish to whitish to orange-infused, never crimson red, usually flat................................6

6. Plants usually turquoise-white to densely white-waxy ......................................................................................................................7

6’. Plants never whitish, lacking a dense waxy coating ..........................................................................................................................8

7. Leaves adorned with darker mottling, usually densely white-waxy, especially when young ............................. K. gastonis-bonnieri

7’. Leaves immaculate, turquoise-white, distinctly orange-infused throughout................................................................... K. longiflora

8. Leaf blade margins adorned with short, duct-like pedestals; plants constitutively phyllo-bulbiliferous...........................................9

8’. Leaf blade margins lacking short, duct-like pedestals; plants not constitutively phyllo-bulbiliferous............................................10

9. Petiole generally immaculate; leaf blade base distinctly peltate ........................................................................... K. daigremontiana

9’. Petiole generally brown-maculate; leaf blade base attenuate to cuneate to variously auriculate ............................... K. × houghtonii

10. Leaves simple at maturity.................................................................................................................................................................11

10’. Leaves compound at maturity...........................................................................................................................................................12

11. Leaf blade base cuneate............................................................................................................................................... K. fedtschenkoi

11’. Leaf blade base ± distinctly auriculate.............................................................................................................................. K. laxiflora

12. Flowers monochromatic yellow, erect at anthesis, <18 mm long .................................................................................... K. laciniata

12’. Flowers greenish red, red, or yellow, pendent at anthesis,> 18 mm long .......................................................................................13

13. Calyx tube 20–30 mm long; leaves simple at first, later 3- to 5-foliolate, then to 200 mm long overall; plants to 2 m tall................ ............................................................................................................................................................................................. K. pinnata

13’. Calyx tube 13–16 mm long; leaves rarely ± simple, usually multi-pinnate, then to 300 mm long overall; plants to 3 m tall ............ ........................................................................................................................................................................................... K. prolifera