Botanical name |
Kalanchoe rotundifolia |
Other names |
Nenta |
Family |
Crassulaceae |
Dimensions |
Erect succulent of about 40 cm in height, can grow to 1 m |
Description of stem |
Soft, light yellow-green to grey-green, sometimes pinkish on lower part, erect from a leafy base, opposite leaves along the stem, reducing in size and increasingly further apart on the way up; limited branching at the base occurs |
Description of leaves |
Succulent, round, ovate or obovate, smooth, light green to blue-green, sometimes pink in parts; a whitish bloom is sometimes evident; leaf margins are entire, attenuating at base; in the Gauteng area the round leaf form is rare; the bigger leaves are clustered near the base of the stem |
Description of flowers |
The inflorescence is a panicle of many small tubular, four-petaled, red or orange flowers at the top of the erect central stalk; flowers appear in autumn into the beginning of winter, but some variation occurs with the region; |
Desciption of seed/fruit |
Oblong, four-angled capsule |
Description of roots |
Rather short, fine roots |
Variation |
As sometimes found in plants with a large natural habitat, the plants vary considerably, notably in leaf shape, flower colour and time of flowering |
Propagation and cultivation |
Can be grown from seed, often seeding itself once it is established in an area; the basal leaves tend to form new leaves and form new plants spontaneously, the old basis sometimes persisting and supporting the leaves that sprout new plants in spring; some old plants will survive into a second and third year; cuttings from the base of older plants or the soft tips grow easily in sandy soil, semi-shade and with mild watering |
Tolerances |
|
Uses |
Garden plant suitable for low watering and maintenance conditions, grows well among trees, also in limited sunlight |
Ecological rarity |
Common |
Pests and diseases |
Not under much attack in its natural domain |
Other |
This plant is a danger to livestock, notably goats and sheep, as it contains the same or similar poisonous substances as the Cotyledon species that cause loco disease or nenta |
Location |
Often in colonies close to or in the shade of trees and shrubs; in sandy soil of differing composition |
Distribution (SA provinces) |
Gauteng; Mpumalanga; KZN; North West |
Country |
South Africa; Zimbabwe |