Compilation
Kalanchoe pyramidalis

A completely glabrous, 0·60-2 m. tall perennial (or also biennial) succulent. Stern from a subspherical or napiform tuber or woody rootstock, stout, terete up to 2·5 cm. in diameter at the base, erect, simple or sometimes forked, green, leafless at flowering time (at least below); lowermost internodes short (only up to 2 cm. long), the following increasing successively up to 16 cm.; nodes somewhat thickened. Leaves decussate, the lower the largest, (5·5)12-26(28) x (2·5)3-7(8) cm., subrosulate, ovate-lanceolate or elliptic to oblong, spathulate or sometimes ovate, obtuse or rounded at the apex, usually serrate-lobed or crenate or entire and undulate at the margin, contracted or attenuate below into a subpetiolar base up to 12 mm. broad and shortly sheathing, the median ones relatively narrower, lanceolate to oblong or linear, also crenate or remotely dentate or entire, sessile, not connate, amplexicaul or not, each ± decurrent in 2 raised lines, the upper shortening successively to the uppermost bract-like ones, all fleshy and very succulent, glaucous or glaucous-green when young and fresh, ± rigid or sometimes chartaceous on drying, ± caducous. Flowers erect in ± dense cymes forming partial flattish corymbs, disposed in a repeatedly dichotomous terminal flat-topped corymb-like inflorescence (5)13-35(45) x (5)13-25 cm.; main branches of inflorescences in up to 8 pairs, the lowermost up to 35 cm. long, straight, at ± 45° angles with the axis; pedicels of dichotomies 6-11(15) mm. long. Calyx 1·5-4(5) mm. long, pale green; tube 0·75-1·5 mm. long; sepals 0·75-2·5(3·5) x 1·5-2·25 mm., lanceolate to shortly triangular, subacute to obtuse, fleshy, rigid when dry. Corolla 13·5-16(17) mm. long, subconical after anthesis, narrowing gradually from the roundish base to the apex of the approximate lobes; corolla-tube (10)11-13·5(15) mm. long, and ± 4 mm. in diameter near the base, obtusely 4-angled below, distinctly so above, not contracted below the lobes after anthesis, yellow-green, turning reddish-brown scarious when dry; corolla-lobes 2-5·25 x 2-4·25 mm., ovate or deltate-semiorbicular, acute, slightly apiculate, lemon-yellow to orange-yellow, sometimes whitish- or red-edged, erect and usually connivent, flat or twisted (together with the uppermost part of tube) even after anthesis, only spreading in the afternoon. Filaments 0·5 or 1·5 mm. long; anthers 0·5 or 0·75 mm., those of the lower stamens below or attaining the sinuses between the corolla-lobes, those of the upper ones slightly above the base of corolla-lobes. Follicles 8·5-12 mm. long; styles 0·5-1·5 mm. long. Scales 1·5-3·25 x 0·5 mm., linear-lanceolate, emarginate, hyaline or brownish-scarious.