Streptocarpus ionanthus

Streptocarpus ionanthus (synonym Saintpaulia ionantha) is a species of Streptocarpus in the section Saintpaulia, commonly known as an African violet. It is native to eastern and southwestern Tanzania.^[2]

Streptocarpus ionanthus
1895 illustration
Conservation status
Near Threatened  (IUCN 3.1)[1]
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
Clade:	Tracheophytes
Clade:	Angiosperms
Clade:	Eudicots
Clade:	Asterids
Order:	Lamiales
Family:	Gesneriaceae
Genus:	Streptocarpus
Section:	S. sect. Saintpaulia
Species:	S. ionanthus
Binomial name
Streptocarpus ionanthus (H.Wendl.) Christenh.[2]
Subspecies and varieties
See text
Synonyms[2]
Petrocosmea ionantha (H.Wendl.) Baill. Saintpaulia ionantha H.Wendl. Saintpaulia kewensis C.B.Clarke Saintpaulia tongwensis B.L.Burtt

Infraspecific taxa

Streptocarpus ionanthus (H.Wendl.) Christenh.

As of March 2020^[update], Plants of the World Online accepted the following subspecies and varieties. Many have previously been treated as separate species in the no longer recognized genus Saintpaulia.^[2]

• Streptocarpus ionanthus var. diplotrichus (B.L.Burtt) Christenh. (syn. Saintpaulia diplotricha)
• Streptocarpus ionanthus subsp. grandifolius (B.L.Burtt) Christenh. (syn. Saintpaulia grandifolia)
• Streptocarpus ionanthus subsp. grotei (Engl.) Christenh. (syn. Saintpaulia amaniensis, Saintpaulia confusa, Saintpaulia difficilis, Saintpaulia grotei, Saintpaulia magungensis)
• Streptocarpus ionanthus subsp. mafiensis (I.Darbysh. & Pócs) Christenh.
• Streptocarpus ionanthus subsp. occidentalis (B.L.Burtt) Christenh.
• Streptocarpus ionanthus subsp. orbicularis (B.L.Burtt) Christenh. (syn. Saintpaulia orbicularis)
• Streptocarpus ionanthus subsp. pendulus (B.L.Burtt) Christenh. (syn. Saintpaulia intermedia, Saintpaulia pendula)
• Streptocarpus ionanthus subsp. rupicola (B.L.Burtt) Christenh. (syn. Saintpaulia rupicola)
• Streptocarpus ionanthus subsp. velutinus (B.L.Burtt) Christenh. (syn. Saintpaulia velutina)

S. ionanthus subsp. velutinus at the Copenhagen Botanical Garden