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| Streptocarpus | |
|---|---|
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| A Streptocarpus hybrid | |
Scientific classification 
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| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Eudicots |
| Clade: | Asterids |
| Order: | Lamiales |
| Family: | Gesneriaceae |
| Subfamily: | Didymocarpoideae |
| Genus: | Streptocarpus Lindl. (1828) |
| Species[1] | |
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184; see text | |
| Synonyms[1] | |
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Streptocarpus ("twisted fruit" from Greek στρεπτός (streptos) "twisted" and καρπός (carpos) "fruit")[2] is an Afrotropical genus of flowering plants in the family Gesneriaceae. The genus is native to Afromontane biotopes[3] from central, eastern and southern Africa, including Madagascar and the Comoro Islands.[4] The flowers are five-petalled, salverform[5] tubes, almost orchid-like in appearance, and hover or arch over the plant, while the pointed, elongate fruit is of a helical form similar to that of the "tusk" of a narwhal. In the wild, species can be found growing on shaded rocky hillsides or cliffs, on the ground, in rock crevices, and almost anywhere the seed can germinate and grow. For the home, there are now many hybrids of various colours and forms available.
Although generally referred to simply as "Streptocarpus" or "Streps", the common name for subgenus Streptocarpus is Cape primrose, referring to the nativity of several species to South Africa and their superficial resemblance to the unrelated genus Primula. The common name for subgenus Streptocarpella is nodding violet. Streptocarpus sect. Saintpaulia ("African violet") is a separate section within Streptocarpus subgenus Streptocarpella.[6]
DNA studies have shown that, despite not having a twisted fruit, African violets evolved from within the Tanzanian Streptocarpus subgenus Streptocarpella.[4][7]
There are a few Asian species that have recently been removed from the genus, most notably Streptocarpus orientalis, now reclassified as Damrongia orientalis. Molecular systematics has shown conclusively that they are not true Streptocarpus.[8][9][10]
- ^ a b Streptocarpus Lindl. Plants of the World Online. Retrieved 5 August 2024.
- ^ Quattrocchi, Umberto, (2000) CRC World Dictionary of Plant Names: Common Names, Scientific Names, Eponyms, Synonyms and Etymology vol. IV R-Z, volume ISBN 0-8493-2678-8 page 2583 https://books.google.com/books?id=zIOvJSJs-IkC&dq=%22Quattrocchi%22+streptocarpus+twisted+fruit&pg=PA2583 Retrieved at 10.57 on 28/10/20.
- ^ Bellstedt, Dirk U. "Streptocarpus: Geographical Distribution and Ecology". The Gesneriad Reference Web. Retrieved 24 July 2013.
- ^ a b Nishii, K.; Hughes, M.; Briggs, M.; Haston, E.; Christie, F.; DeVilliers, M.J.; Hanekom, T.; Roos, W.G.; Bellstedt, D.U.; Möller, M. (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", Taxon, 64 (6): 1243–1274, doi:10.12705/646.8
- ^ "the definition of salverform".
- ^ "The Great Merger – Current Taxonomic Status | Gesneriad Reference Web". Retrieved 2020-03-11.
- ^ Möller, M. & Cronk, Q.C.B. (1997), "Origin and Relationships of Saintpaulia (Gesneriaceae) based on ribosomal DNA internal transcribed spacer (ITS) sequences", American Journal of Botany, 84 (7): 956–965, doi:10.2307/2446286, JSTOR 2446286, PMID 21708650
- ^ Bellstedt, D. U., Streptocarpus Genus Overview
- ^ "Damrongia | Gesneriad Reference Web". Retrieved 2020-10-09.
- ^ "Streptocarpus". The Genera of Gesneriaceae. 2007-07-13.