Streptocarpus sect. Saintpaulia is a section within Streptocarpus subgenus Streptocarpella consisting of about ten species of herbaceous perennial flowering plants in the family Gesneriaceae, native to Tanzania and adjacent southeastern Kenya in eastern tropical Africa. The section was previously treated as a separate genus, Saintpaulia, but molecular phylogenetic studies showed that it was nested within the genus Streptocarpus.
Species and cultivars are commonly called African violets (although they are not closely related to true violets) or saintpaulias. They are commonly sold as house plants.
Several of the species and subspecies of the section are endangered, and many more are threatened, as their native cloud forest habitats are cleared for agriculture. The conservation status of Streptocarpus ionanthus has been classed as near-threatened.
Description
Saintpaulias, which grow 6–15 cm (2.4–5.9 in) tall, can be anywhere from 6 to 30 cm (2.4 to 11.8 in) wide. They are of a rosette growth habit, and grow 5-lobed, often bi-lobed flowers. The leaves are rounded to oval, 2.5–8.5 cm (1.0–3.3 in) long with a 2–10 cm (0.8–3.9 in) petiole, finely hairy, and have a fleshy texture. The flowers are 2–3 cm (0.8–1.2 in) in diameter, with a five-lobed velvety corolla ("petals"), and grow in clusters of 3–10 or more on slender stalks called peduncles. Secondary stems called pedicels arise from peduncles to support single blooms. Multiple such pedicels can arise from a peduncle.
Wild species can have violet, purple, pale blue, or white flowers.
The plants get their common name "African violet" from their superficial resemblance to true violets (Viola, family Violaceae).
Taxonomy
This group of plants has lived in the biodiverse Eastern Arc Usambara Mountains in Tanga Province for millions of years. The name in the local Kisambaa language is Dughulushi. The Germans officially colonialized this area from about...
