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Streptocarpus ionanthus (H.Wendl.) Christenh.

African violet

Native records: 2 botanical areas

Kenya, Tanzania

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Natural distribution

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NativeIntroducedUncertain

Distribution is shown as WGSRPD Level 3 areas. It does not imply the species occurs throughout an entire area.

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Distribution last verified:

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Photograph of Streptocarpus ionanthus

A species of Streptocarpus (family Gesneriaceae), native to a narrow band of eastern and south-western Tanzania and adjacent south-eastern Kenya. Rounded, fleshy leaves form a low rosette and produce clusters of vivid purple to violet flowers over much of the year. One of the most widely grown and commercially important houseplants worldwide, typically sold and known under the former genus name Saintpaulia.

Description

A small perennial herb growing as a lithophyte or low terrestrial on rocks, mossy banks and tree-root crevices in humid montane forest. Leaves are thick, rounded to broadly ovate, 5–10 cm long, with an entire or shallowly crenate margin, often reddish beneath, arranged in a flat rosette. Inflorescences arise from leaf axils in cymose clusters of several flowers. The corolla is five-lobed and bilabiate, 2–4 cm across, most commonly violet or purple (white and bicoloured forms occur in cultivation), with two yellow anthers concealed in the upper lip. Plants flower repeatedly through the year (reflorescent). Reproduction is by seed; in the wild it colonises shaded, persistently moist micro-sites in the forest understorey.

Habitat

Native to a narrow range in eastern and south-western Tanzania (notably the Eastern Arc Mountains — Uluguru, Nguru, Udzungwa and related ranges — and south-western highlands) and adjacent south-eastern Kenya. Occurs as a lithophyte or low epiphyte on mossy rocks, stream banks and tree bases in humid montane forest, roughly 200–1,800 m elevation, where it benefits from year-round moisture, filtered light and equable temperatures.

Distribution areas

  • Kenya

    • KenyaNative

  • Tanzania, United Republic of

    • TanzaniaNative

  • Trinidad and Tobago

    • Trinidad-TobagoIntroduced

Climate of the native range

The Köppen climate classes found in the areas this plant is recorded as native to. It does not mean an entire area has that climate.

  • Aw Tropical, savannah
  • BSh Arid, steppe, hot
  • BWh Arid, desert, hot

The same climate occurs in 95 areas worldwide, 93 of which have no record of this plant. See them on the map

A matching climate does not mean the plant can grow there. Range limits are also set by things other than climate — dispersal history, soils, competition. Source: Beck et al. (2023), CC BY 4.0 (observed period 1991–2020).

Other names

African violet

Family
Gesneriaceae
Genus
Streptocarpus

Other species in Streptocarpus

Sources

  • World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP), version 2026-06-04

    Kenya · Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew · wcvp_distribution.csv

    Open source

  • World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP), version 2026-06-04

    Trinidad and Tobago · Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew · wcvp_distribution.csv

    Open source

  • World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP), version 2026-06-04

    Tanzania, United Republic of · Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew · wcvp_distribution.csv

    Open source

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