This interesting rare succulent has a thick short upright stem bearing a terminal rosette of soft glandular-hairy leaves that are short and broad with serrated margins. From within the leaves are produced short inflorescences with hair stalks, one or two pairs of bracts and flowers that are a pale yellow-green. It was first described in Bulletin du Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle in 1923 by Joseph Marie Henry Alfred Perrier de la Bâthie (1873-1958), a French botanist who specialized in the plants of Madagascar. It was later included in an excellent article written in 1983 by Warner Rauh titled "The Succulent Vegetation of Central Madagascar" (Part 3) that was in the Journal of the Cactus and Succulent Society of America (V55 N.5 pg. 201-208). In this article Rauh noted that Kalanchoe tetraphylla and K. synsepala are closely related and are the only known Kalanchoe species that do not have terminal inflorescences, but rather initiate in a lateral position in the axils of the leaves with terminal inflorescence only being very rarely developed. Kalanchoe synsepala is also unique within the genus for having stolons from which it produces new plantlets, a trait which Kalanchoe tetraphylla does not share. Rauh also observed that the specific epithet, which means "four leaves", is misleading as plants often have more of the paired leaves and notes that they can have up to 10.

Unfortunately this plant has been confused in the literature with Kalanchoe thyrsiflora, a plant that itself is often confused with the common paddle plant, Kalanchoe luciae. On The Plant List, the extensive database of plants that is the result of collaboration between the Missouri Botanic Garden (MOBOT) and the Royal Botanic Gardens Kew, it incorrectly lists Kalanchoe thyrsiflora a synonym for Kalanchoe tetraphylla (listing in May 2018) but, on MOBOT's own Tropico database, it correctly lists Kalanchoe tetraphylla and Kalanchoe thyrsiflora as separate taxon. Bernard Descoings' treatment in The Illustrated Handbook of Succulent Plants: Crassulaceae (2003), list both species separately as well and makes the note that Kalanchoe tetraphylla is "a very rare species closely related to K. synsepala. They form a small group distinct from all other species of the genus by their habit, their growth form and additional characters."

Unfortunately many online sources have followed this mistaken synonymy and also missed the misidentification of Kalanchoe luciae so that often the common "Paddle Plant" is even listed incorrectly under the name Kalanchoe tetraphylla. We do not grow Kalanchoe tetraphylla but have it in our collection.