Streptocarpus goetzeanus

Streptocarpus goetzeanus, synonym Saintpaulia goetzeana, is a species of Streptocarpus in the section Saintpaulia, commonly known as an African violet. It is a small, flowering plant that is used widely in home horticulture. S. goetzeana was first collected in 1898 by W. Goetze, and it was later described as a species by Engler in 1900.[2]

Streptocarpus goetzeanus
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Asterids
Order: Lamiales
Family: Gesneriaceae
Genus: Streptocarpus
Section: S. sect. Saintpaulia
Species:
S. goetzeanus
Binomial name
Streptocarpus goetzeanus
(Engl.) Christenh.[1]
Synonyms[1]
  • Saintpaulia goetzeana Engl.

Characteristics

Streptocarpus goetzeanus has stems of about 40 cm in length with leaves of 1.6-3.8 cm long and 1.4-3.6 cm wide.[3] The flower is unique to the species. It has five petals, where the top two are violet and the bottom three are white.[2]

Distribution

Members of Streptocarpus section Saintpaulia are native to eastern tropical Africa. There is a concentration of species in the Nguru Mountains of Tanzania. This particular species is only found at the higher elevations of 1300–2000 meters.[2]

Cultivation

Streptocarpus goetzeanus is very hard to cultivate due to the narrow conditions it needs to grow, such as mossy rock surfaces in deep shade.[2] These conditions are hard to reproduce, making cultivation difficult.

References
  1. "Streptocarpus goetzeanus (Engl.) Christenh.", Plants of the World Online, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, retrieved 2020-03-12
  2. Smith, Jeff. "Saintpaulia: Taxonomy, Ecology and Distribution". Gesneriad Reference Web. Retrieved 15 December 2013.
  3. "Entry for Saintpaulia goetzeana Engl. [family GESNERIACEAE]". JSTOR Global Plants. Retrieved 30 December 2013.
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