This graceful new cultivar appears to be a seedling or vegetative sport of Kalanchoe ‘Houghton’s Hybrid’ (K. daigremontiana × K. delagoensis)(see corrections for ISI 2003-32), one of the widespread Mother of Thousands. This common name refers to the production, by various related species and hybrids of the subgenus Bryophyllum, of numerous plantlets on the leaf margins. These small propagules fall to the ground or into surrounding pots and readily take root, soon leaving the parent plant (and its label) far behind. This fecundity may sometimes be a mild annoyance but plants are shallowly rooted and therefore easily pulled when they take root out of place. K. ‘Parsel Tongue’ appeared spontaneously a few years ago among our epiphytic cactus collection. The elongate tongue-like leaves with their reptilian-looking, scaly appearance, evoked the name ‘Parsel Tongue’ which is the fictional language of snakes in the popular Harry Potter stories by J.K. Rowling. The base of the leaf is cup-shaped, especially in shade-grown leaves. HBG 95219. $6.
Published in the Cactus and Succulent Journal, Vol. 79 (2), March - April, 2007