Ask Mr. Smarty Plants

From your description, I would say that you have a Kalanchoe which certainly is a fascinating plant. There are some who would call it Bryophyllum. A second bone of contention is how does one pronounce Kalanchoe?

Kalanchoe, a member of the family Crassulaceae, is a tropical genus with over 126 species and is native to Madagascar. There are some species that occur in Florida, Texas, Puerto Rico, and Hawaii where they are considered invasives.

The production of plantlets along the margins of the leaves narrows our selection to two possibilites; Kalanchoe delagoensis or Chandelier Plant, and Kalanchoe daigremontiana or Devil's Backbone or Mother of Thousands.

The planlets are capable of growing into a mature adults once they have fallen onto suitable substrate. This is a means of vegetative or asexual reproduction for the plant and is referred to as vivipary. The plant can also produce flowers and seeds.

You are dealing with a tropical succulent plant; this usually means high light and sparse water. You describe your new shoots as being lanky which could be a result of too little light. This could aslo account for the roots high up the stem. Water sparingly; let the top of the soil become dry to the touch before adding more water. This is a prolific reproducer and can be a problem in your greenhouse or your flower garden.