Saintpaulia is the genus to which the immensely popular "African Violet"
belongs. 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. African violets 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 "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.
African violets are well adapted to indoor culture, either under lights or on a
windowsill. If kept with reasonable humidity and warmth, provided with regular
moisture and light fertilization, they will provide very rewarding amounts of
bloom.
Photographed in the Yogi
Nursery, Delhi.
Identification credit: Nandan Kalbag
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The flower labeled African Violet white is ...