Katte pot-ta Kuu-te Poduum
(Kalanchoe daigremontiana)

" Kichammi sir,  what this hanging in your garden?" - Ramu entered Kichammi's house with a causual question.

"Oh, Ramu, that is a big story, I have already penned it, Why don't you read it" , Kichammi, ran into his house with the enthusiasm of a  young boy and came out with bunch of printed papers.

"Ramu, better come inside, sit down and read it", said Kichammi.

"No, Kichammi sir, I shall sit down in the garden and read it", Ramu wanted to enjoy the morning breeze, across Kichammi's little  garden. Ramu spread out the jute bag that he has brought for vegetable buying, sat on it and started reading the story. Ramu has to really concentrate on what is written...............

The memory is ever green, it takes me to Gods own Country,  a small beautiful  village, known as Soranur, in the Indian state of Kerala bordering Tamil Nadu. At that age, I could hardly walk, hearing the early morning thud, I used to run through the shrubs, cutting across rare medicinal plants, plants producing young plants across their leaf edges and the flowering plants spread out - bearing flowers to offer to the temple. Picking up and carrying the coconuts falling from tall trees, to Acchis house was my childhood pastime. Of course, Acchi, the old land lady, always welcomed me with a piece of fresh green plantain leaf, full of piping hot Puttu, with Kadala Curry, to go with it. It used to create a soothing effect on the tongue. It is quite relishing, adding warmth to the fresh chilly wind following across thick woods.

My father had a transferable job with Indian Railways. We moved from greenery, to a town known as Trichinapoly, then into hustle bustle of  city of Madras. But our Chennai house resembled the Kerala house, surrounded by 10 acres of green land with plenty of trees and rare potted plants of all colours and shades. The land ladys, daughter a Professor of Botany, loved her plant and the subject she taught to her students. Among the collections, the plant with plantlets on its leaf,  attracted me. Oh, Kittu, this plant is Bryophyllum daigremontianum, mother of Thousand, belongs to the family Crassulaceae #@$$$%^&*......."

Like any other Professors, who are authorities in the subject they teach, she used to start her classroom, virtually anywhere, not  bothered much about the grasp of the student listeners and their attentions. %$$## *()@#$% ....is genus contains about 20 species including @#&^* . Their Origin is from Southwestern Madagascar (Mount Androhibolava). After having been included @@###$$%^^&&.they are considered weeds. Some should be kept because of their attractive selected to prevent unwanted invasion. At that age, I could not follow all that she said.

Aunty, if I tie these leaves on a thread and hang it, will it grow?", my interest was focused and straight . "Of course, it will create so many plantlets out of its edge - mother of thousand . Katte pot-ta Kuu-te Poduum (if you tie it, it will produce young ones) that is it's Tamil name, which helped me understand the plant better. The plant Mother of Thousands got stuck in my memory.

In Delhi, I found the Mother of Thousands in my garden and I started narrating dramatically, my childhood experiences to my children and they repeated the act of tying the leaf and observing the plantlets growth. My younger daughter, in a bid to demonstrate to her husband, the mother of thousands, tied one and hung it in her home and forgot about it. The plant tried producing the young ones and almost dried out in the Delhi heat last summer.

To save the plant, my son-in-law put it in a pot and there it grew very big. The pots are stationed now, in my home. Our gardener cut the main branch and threw it out. I saw the plant on the ground, felt sad , and tied it up and hung it in my garden. Yes, tied and hung it.

Now it is more than 6 weeks. At first it dried out the young leaves on the top (Now, it is hanging upside down). Then folded the leaves to protect them from heat, started taking out roots on the stem joints. Had I tied one leaf, I would have got many plantlets from the edge of the leaf. It is quite interesting to watch it grow. I give absolutely nothing to the plant, hanging above the ground but it is green and healthy. Uses all it's skills, twists and turns, to find food and Sun light

I was questioned by my children about the plant and asked for its scientific explanation.

I tried studying about the plant using the net for couple days without success.

GOOGLING

I tried out http://www.google.co.in, with a search string (grow+plants+from+leaves).  I got about 708,000 hits, not traceable, about the plant. (grow+plants+from+leaf) gave about 419,000.

Mind boggling. No information could be reached.

MAMMA to my rescue

I tried out http://www.mamma.com with search string (plants+from+leaves), I got 69 hits.

plants for (grow from leaf) I got 65 hits.

One was,

http://www.madsci.org/posts/archives/may2000/959120953.Bt.r.html [ Teoma ]

Alas, I hit bulls eye. Teoma, is the engine to put a pointer on the news group. I tried viewing the pictures to confirm the plant in question.

teoma.com

I got the reference, Kalanchoe daigremontiana. I saw the picture on the hit and confirmed the correctness.

That is refered by http://www.teoma.com, a search engine created by a google author. That gave 720 reference for a string Kalanchoe daigremontiana.

Bryophyllum, this genus contains about 20 species including 'Air Plants', and other 'Mother of Thousands'. Their Origin is from Southwestern Madagascar (Mount Androhibolava). After having been included in the genus Kalanchoe for many years, it is now considered different enough to warrant its own genus. The difference is mostly pendant flowers, and bulbil production .

The edges of the leaves on most of these species produce large quantities of plantlets, that eventually detach and start growing wherever they fall. In most collections, they are considered weeds. Some bryophyllums should be kept because of their attractive foliage and blossom, but their location should be selected to prevent unwanted invasion.

Yes I got the full information

Mother of Thousands
 

Scientific Name: Bryophyllum daigremontianum (Raym.-Hamet & E.P. Perrier) Berger
Synonym: Kalanchoe daigremontiana
Family: Crassulaceae

Kalanchoe

Variously called Pregnant Plant, Maternity Plant, and Mother of Thousands (or Millions), Kalanchoes are succulent plants from Africa which bear tiny plantlets on their leaves; these eventually fall off and make new plants, much to the dismay of those of us who have commercial greenhouses and are trying to keep the plants separate. As a houseplant, though, they are interesting and unusual, perhaps a bit out of fashion, but probably ready for a comeback. Just the thing for a confidence-booster for those who think they can't grow anything.

This plant can be good source for Student activity. Net has intense research on Plant pathology and recycle mechanism, reproductive mechanism based on this plant.

I know now what the Biology Professor would have tried to explain to me when I was a kid.

"Kichammi sir, can I have a leaf of  "Katti Potta Kuute poduum?", Ramu,  asked hesitatingly.

"Ramu, I shall give you leaf and the plant also, but with  a promise that you make your children understand the science and do the projects in their School Science fair",  Kichammi made the condition. Of course, Kichammi gave the reference supports for the same (Click and read).