Kalanchoe dineshii is a species of flowering plant in the family Crassulaceae. It is a perennial herb with corymbose inflorescences. The species is native to Kerala, India, and was described in 2022.
Taxonomy The species was described by S. Syam Radh and Santhosh Nampy in 2022. Kalanchoe dineshii is likely to be closely related to Kalanchoe bhidei and Kalanchoe olivacea.
Distribution Kalanchoe dineshii is native to the seasonally dry tropical biome of Kerala, India. It is found in Mathikettan Shola National Park, in the southern Western Ghats. The species is found in association with Cyanotis arachnoidea and Tripogon bromoides.
Description Kalanchoe dineshii is a reddish-white, decumbent or erect, perennial herb that grows high. The stems are woody at the base, and have prominent leaf scars. The leaves are obovate to obtrullate, long, wide, and lack stems.
The inflorescence is a corymb that grows on a long stem. The flower stems are long. The flowers are hermaphroditic, closely packed, long, and wide. The calyx has four pale green lobes, which are widely ovate, long, and wide. The corolla is a tube with four pinkish-white lobes, which are long, and wide. The flowers have eight stamens and four carpels.
Flowering and fruiting specimens have been collected between November and January. Unlike some other Kalanchoe species, Kalanchoe dineshii does not undergo asexual reproduction.
Etymology Kalanchoe dineshii is named after Dr. Dinesh Raj, an assistant professor at Bishop Moore College, who introduced the first describing author to angiosperm taxonomy.
References