of these, such as Hawaii, it is regarded as an invasive species. Much of the reason for the widespread naturalization of this plant can be traced to its popularity as a garden plant. Taxonomy and nomenclature The writer Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, who 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 ("History of my botanical studies"). The plant Kalanchoe pinnata was harvested by Pierre Sonnerat in Isle de France (Mauritius) and communicated to Lamarck who described it in 1786 as the Cotyledon pinnata. Subsequently, the Paris naturalist Christiaan Hendrik Persoon reclassified it in the Kalanchoe (calling it Calanchoe pinnata 1805-1807, with an orthographic variant). At the same time, in London, the botanist Richard Anthony Salisbury described the same plant from a specimen received from Bengal, under the name of Bryophyllum calycinum, and at the same time created the new genus Bryophyllum. It has several local names in its native Madagascar: falatanantsifaona, malainana, rendadiaka, sodifafana and tsilafafa. In the Philippines, it is known as or which is an adjective meaning 'astonishing' or 'remarkable'. Cultivation In temperate regions, Kalanchoe pinnata is grown as an indoor ornamental plant. Like most succulents, it cannot survive hard frost and will not thrive in environments in which the temperature drops below . It favours well-drained soil, the roots being otherwise susceptible to rot. In the tropics, K. pinnata is grown outdoors in gardens, from which it may escape to become naturalised - often as an invasive weed. Toxicity and traditional medicine In common with other species belonging to the Crassulaceae (including certain members of the genera Tylecodon, Cotyledon and Adromischus), Kalanchoe pinnata 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. In traditional medicine, the juice of the leaves is also used for kidney stones, although there is ongoing research and some scientific evidence for this use but further research is required. In the French Antilles, Kalanchoe pinnata, called zeb maltet, is used in local application against headaches. For the people of the Amazon, kalanchoe has multiple uses: the Creoles use it roasted against inflammations and cancer and