Red flower ID'd by Jorun (with prompt from Fermi) as Bryophyllum delagoense

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JTh

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A friend of mine asked me if I recognized this plant which she had seen in Gran Canaria a few weeks ago. I don't, and I wonder if any of you could help us with this one?
« Last Edit: January 01, 2017, 04:24:53 PM by Alisdair »
Retired veterinary surgeon by training with a PhD in parasitology,  but worked as a virologist since 1992.
Member of the MGS  since 2004. Gardening in Oslo and to a limited extent in Halkidiki, Greece.

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Fermi

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Re: Identification of red flower from Gran Canaria
« Reply #1 on: January 01, 2017, 03:59:21 AM »
Hi Jorun,
Is it a type of Kalanchoe?
Did your friend have a pic of the foliage as well?
cheers
fermi
Mr F de Sousa, Central Victoria, Australia
member of AGS, SRGC, NARGS
working as a physio to support my gardening habit!

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JTh

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Re: Identification of red flower from Gran Canaria
« Reply #2 on: January 01, 2017, 11:30:37 AM »
That was a great help, Fermi, you put me on the right track.

Sorry, no photo of the leaves, that would have, been useful. I have looked at a lot of Kalanchoe photos, and there is one that strikes me as resembling the flower in the photo very much, Kalanchoe delagoensis, also known as Kalanchoe chandelier; this seems to be a synonym for Bryophyllum delagoense, which is the accepted name.

The flowers are described like this: The bell-shaped (tubular) flowers (2-4 cm long) are either red, orange-red or pinkish-red in colour and the four petals are fused for most of their length (into a corolla tube). They are drooping (pendulous) and grouped into tightly branched clusters (10-20 cm wide) at the top of the stems (in terminal corymbose inflorescences). These flowers also have four partially fused greyish coloured sepals (5-13 mm long), a four-lobed ovary, four styles and eight stamens. They are borne on individual stalks (pedicels) 5-20 mm long.
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The plant looks interesting, but it is described as invasive in certain environments.
Retired veterinary surgeon by training with a PhD in parasitology,  but worked as a virologist since 1992.
Member of the MGS  since 2004. Gardening in Oslo and to a limited extent in Halkidiki, Greece.

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Fermi

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Re: Identification of red flower from Gran Canaria
« Reply #3 on: January 01, 2017, 01:47:45 PM »

The plant looks interesting, but it is described as invasive in certain environments.
Some Kalanchoe species develop little plantlets along the edge of the leaf which fall over to become new plants - they can spread quite a bit even without setting seed,
cheers
fermi
Mr F de Sousa, Central Victoria, Australia
member of AGS, SRGC, NARGS
working as a physio to support my gardening habit!

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JTh

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Re: Identification of red flower from Gran Canaria
« Reply #4 on: January 01, 2017, 02:42:09 PM »
Yes, that seems to be the case with the genus Bryophyllum especially, which is also called 'Mother of millions' for that reason.
Retired veterinary surgeon by training with a PhD in parasitology,  but worked as a virologist since 1992.
Member of the MGS  since 2004. Gardening in Oslo and to a limited extent in Halkidiki, Greece.