Saintpaulia is a genus of 20 species of herbaceous perennial flowering plants in the family Gesneriaceae, native to Tanzania and adjacent southeastern Kenya in eastern tropical Africa, with a concentration of species in the Nguru mountains of Tanzania.
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The genus is named after Baron Walter von Saint Paul Illaire, the district
commissioner of Tanga province who discovered the plant in Tanganyika (now
Tanzania) in Africa in 1892 and sent seeds back to his father, an amateur
botanist in Germany. Common names include Saintpaulia, African-violet or African
Violet, the latter confusing as it is not a violet (Viola, family Violaceae).
Two British plant enthusiasts, Sir John Kirk and Reverend W.E. Taylor, had
earlier collected and submitted specimens to Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew in 1884
and 1887 respectively, but the quality of specimens was insufficient to permit
scientific description at that time.
Saintpaulias grow from 6-15 cm tall and can be anywhere from 6-30 cm wide. The
leaves are rounded to oval, 2.5-8.5 cm long with a 2-10 cm petiole, finely
hairy, and with a fleshy texture. The flowers are 2-3 cm diameter, with a
five-lobed velvety corolla ("petals"), and grow in clusters of 3-10 or more on
slender stalks (peduncles). Flower colour in the wild species varies between
violet, purple, pale blue and white.
Several of the species are endangered, and many more are threatened, due to
clearance of their native cloud forest habitat for agriculture.
Cultivation
Saintpaulias are widely cultivated as house plants. Until recently, only a few
of these species have been used in breeding programs for the hybrids available
in the market; most available as house plants are cultivars derived from
Saintpaulia ionantha. A wider range of species is now being looked at as sources
of genes to introduce into modern cultivars.
Over 2,000 cultivars have been selected for horticultural use. There are many different leaf and flower types found; cultivars are classified as Large, Standard, Trailing, Semi-mini, Mini, and Micro with Micro being the smallest. They range in flower colour from white, pink, violet, yellow, and some even green, and the flowers may be either single (five petals) or double (more than five, with some or all of the stamens converted into extra petals). One interesting flower form found in the African Violet are known as a "wasp"; these flowers have the upper two flower petals independently fused forming a tube. There are also compound leaves on some, that are called "bustled".
Saintpaulias can be propagated by leaf cuttings (essential for propagating named
cultivars) or seed (from which new cultivars are selected). African violets
prefer a constant temperature between 20-25°C with high humidity, and thrive
best planted in well-drained humus or coir compost.
Some popular cultivars include:
Saintpaulia 'Kacharoroni'
Saintpaulia 'Mwachi'
Saintpaulia 'Mafiensis'
Saintpaulia 'Sigi Falls'