Notas sobre las especies de <em>Kalanchoe (Crassulaceae)</em> ocasionales y naturalizadas en Cuba

Abstract

Muchas especies del género Kalanchoe se cultivan ampliamente por su valor ornamental, hecho que junto a la alta capacidad de muchas de ellas a naturalizarse ha causado que algunas crezcan en zonas geográficas distantes de sus áreas de distribución natural. En los últimos 65 años el número de especies de Kalanchoe reportadas para Cuba ha ascendido de dos a cinco, según publicaciones recientes. La falta de un trabajo actualizado que recoja las especies naturalizadas de este género en Cuba y que aporte unas claves para su correcta identificación ha conducido a la existencia de discrepancias en cuanto a algunos de los nombres citados en estas publicaciones. A la vista de dichos precedentes creímos oportuno realizar la presente investigación que tuvo como objetivos definir el número real de especies de Kalanchoe que crecen de manera silvestre en Cuba, ofrecer una clave para su identificación, así como descripciones e información sobre las localidades donde han sido encontradas. Se estima que en Cuba crecen espontáneamente seis taxones de este género, de los que tres se reportan por primera vez, uno de los cuales, K. laetivirens, también es novedad mundial. Aportamos también imágenes y mapas que permiten una mejor comprensión de los resultados.

The Genus Kalanchoe (Crassulaceae) in Ecuador: From Gardens to the Wild

“…2700 m a.s.l.). This species has been reported as an alien species in the wild in Atlantic Forest in Sergipe (north-eastern Brazil; [69]) and in Honduras [70], and as naturalized in the locality of Cabo Cruz in Cuba [35]. We report a record of K. gastonis-bonnieri as naturalized in the Galapagos Islands (Isabela Island, near sea level); however, we could not find reliable information about the invasive potential of this species in South America in the literature, so we are reporting for the first time this species for this continent; it is, however, showing signs of escaping in other parts of the world, including Australia (https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/43488774; accessed on 22 April 2022), Hong Kong of China (https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/28761346; accessed on 22 April 2022), Puerto Rico (https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/103269505; accessed on 22 April 2022), and Spain [71].…”

“…This would also be the case for K. thyrsiflora, one of the two taxa having all their occurrences classified as uncertain; the two records we gathered are iNaturalist observations, but the pictures provided by the observers do not enable us to make sure that the plants are cultivated. While these two records would be cultivated, the two uncertain occurrences of K. ×laetivirens-which are also iNaturalist observations-would be, instead, wild ones, as this taxon has been observed out of cultivation in other tropical or subtropical regions of the world, such as Cuba [35], Hainan Island in China (J. López-Pujol, pers. obs.…”

“…These three species, together with the five species previously reported in the literature in the wild in Ecuador (which are all naturalized except K. mortagei), should, thus, be regarded as constituents of the flora of Ecuador and, for this reason, we provide an identification key for them (see above). Kalanchoe mortagei, although at present only a casual alien species in Ecuador, in other places of tropical America it is already naturalized, e.g., in Cuba [35]. In contrast, Kalanchoe crenata, despite that in Flora of Ecuador [47] it was considered as one of the three species naturalized in the country, it has likely not escaped into the wild yet; the collection in which the naturalization status is supported (Dodson and Dodson 11727) seems to be from cultivated individuals (http://legacy.tropicos.org/Specimen/3009462; accessed on 22 April 2022).…”

“…The high ornamental value and frequent use in popular medicine of some taxa of Kalanchoe have undoubtedly increased their commercialization around the world, favoring their invasion success [19,23,34,35]. Several taxa of the genus Kalanchoe have been categorized as invasive or, at least, as taxa of concern for their new environment [19].…”

“…Several taxa of the genus Kalanchoe have been categorized as invasive or, at least, as taxa of concern for their new environment [19]. For example, in Australia, K. blossfeldiana is an invasive species and it was estimated to occupy more than 10,000 ha already four decades ago [36], while K. daigremontiana has been reported as invasive in the continental United States [37], Cuba [35], Hawaii [38], and Australia [19], among others. Kalanchoe ×houghtonii, an artificial hybrid between K. daigremontiana and K. blossfeldiana, is considered an emerging invader on a global scale, a great example of how the development of artificial hybrids in greenhouses can give rise to new biological invasions [39].…”