Streptocarpus goetzeanus
| Streptocarpus goetzeanus | |
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| Species: | S. goetzeana
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| Binomial name | |
| Saintpaulia goetzeana | |
Saintpaulia goetzeana is a subspecies of Saintpaulia, commonly known as African violet. The African violet 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.[1]
Characteristics
Saintpaulia goetzeana has stems of about 40cm in length with leaves of 1.6-3.8cm long and 1.4-3.6cm wide.[2] The flower is unique to the goetzeana species. It has five petals, where the top two are violet and the bottom three are white.[1]
Distribution
Saintpaulias are native to eastern tropical Africa. There is a concentration of species in the Nguru mountains of Tanzania. This particular subspecies is only found at the higher elevations of 1300-2000 meters.[1]
Cultivation
Saintpaulia goetzeana is very hard to cultivate due to the narrow conditions it needs to grow, such as mossy rock surfaces in deep shade.[1] These conditions are hard to reproduce, making cultivation difficult.
References
- ^ a b c d Smith, Jeff. "Saintpaulia: Taxonomy, Ecology and Distribution". Gesneriad Reference Web. Retrieved 15 December 2013.
- ^ "Entry for Saintpaulia goetzeana Engl. [family GESNERIACEAE]". JSTOR Global Plants. Retrieved 30 December 2013.
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