Scientific
classification
Kingdom:
Plantae
Order Saxifragales
Family:
Crassulaceae
Genus:
Bryophyllum
Species:
Bryophyllum pinnatum
Binomial
name: Bryophyllum
pinnatum (Lam.) Oken
Other
Names: Air Plant, Life Plant, Cathedral Bells, Goethe
Plant, Patharkuchi (Bengali), Panfuti (Maharastra)
Special
feature: Bryophyllum pinnatum is a succulent plant native to
Madagascar, which is a popular houseplant and has become naturalized in
tropical and subtropical areas.
The writer Johann Wolfgang von Goethe - who also was
an amateur naturalist of some repute - was "passionately fond" of
this plant and liked to give the baby plantlets as gifts to friends who visited
his home. He also discussed his air plant at length in an essay titled
Geschichte meiner botanischen Studien ("History of my botanical
studies").
Bryophyllum pinnatum has been found to contain bufadienolide cardiac glycosides. These
can cause cardiac poisoning, particularly in grazing animals.
Bryophyllum pinnatum has been recorded in Trinidad
and Tobago as being used as a traditional treatment for hypertension. The juice
made of Bryophylum is useful for cure of kidneystones, although there is no
evidence-based clinical indication for these uses in modern medicine and,
indeed, such usage could prove dangerous and even fatal in some cases. (Wikipedia)