Of paddles, soup plates, and clubs: the taxonomy of the southern and south-tropical African Kalanchoe sect. Raveta (Crassulaceae subfam. Kalanchooideae; Kalanchoe subg. Kalanchoe) and its constituent species

Abstract

The taxonomy and nomenclature applicable to Kalanchoe [subg. Kalanchoe] sect. Raveta (Crassulaceae subfam. Kalanchooideae), at present a group comprised of seven southern and south-tropical African species, are reviewed. At species rank, special reference is made to the names K. aleurodes, K. albiflora, and K. wildii, with the first two names commonly included in the synonymy of K. luciae, and the third one in use for material from Zimbabwe. It is shown that the name K. aleurodes is very likely the earliest name applied to material today widely known as K. wildii. However, use of the name K. aleurodes for the little-known K. wildii is not suggested here, as the name K. aleurodes has been proposed for rejection under Article 56A.1 of the International Code of Nomenclature for algae, fungi, and plants. All the kalanchoes with large, obovate to round (soup plate-shaped and -sized) leaves and dense-flowered, club-shaped inflorescences are here included in K. sect. Raveta (in K. subg. Kalanchoe) with this long-overlooked sectional name used in the stead of K. subg. Fernandesiae. A key is provided to the species included in K. sect. Raveta.