Streptocarpus afroviola

Streptocarpus afroviola, synonym Saintpaulia pusilla, is a species of flowering plant in the family Gesneriaceae, native to Tanzania.[1] It was first described in 1900 by Adolf Engler as Saintpaulia pusilla.[2] The former genus Saintpaulia was reduced to Streptocarpus sect. Saintpaulia,[3] and the species was moved to Streptocarpus. However, the name Streptocarpus pusillus had been used in 1883 for a different species, so Maarten J. M. Christenhusz put forward the replacement name Streptocarpus afroviola.[4]

Streptocarpus afroviola
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Asterids
Order: Lamiales
Family: Gesneriaceae
Genus: Streptocarpus
Section: S. sect. Saintpaulia
Species:
S. afroviola
Binomial name
Streptocarpus afroviola
Christenh.[1]
Synonyms[1]
  • Saintpaulia pusilla Engl.

Distribution and habitat edit

Streptocarpus afroviola is known from four mountain ranges in Tanzania: the Uluguru, Ukaguru, Nguru and Udzungwa mountains, although it has only been found in a single site on each of the Ukaguru and Nguru Mountains. It grows on shady rockfaces and moss-covered rocks in montane rainforest at elevations of 1,300–1,750 m (4,270–5,740 ft).[1]

References edit

  1. ^ a b c d "Streptocarpus afroviola Christenh.", Plants of the World Online, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, retrieved 2020-10-20
  2. ^ "Saintpaulia pusilla Engl.", The International Plant Names Index, retrieved 2020-10-20
  3. ^ Nishii, Kanae; Hughes, Mark; Briggs, Marie; Haston, Elspeth; Christie, Frieda; DeVilliers, Margaret J.; Hanekom, Thea; Roos, Wiets G.; Bellstedt, Dirk U. & Möller, Michael (2015), "Streptocarpus redefined to include all Afro-Malagasy Gesneriaceae: Molecular phylogenies prove congruent with geographical distribution and basic chromosome numbers and uncover remarkable morphological homoplasies" (PDF), Taxon, 64 (6): 1243–1274, doi:10.12705/646.8, retrieved 2020-03-12
  4. ^ "Streptocarpus afroviola Christenh.", The International Plant Names Index, retrieved 2020-10-20