In order to preserve the genetic diversity of African Violets it has been a common practice to attach a clone (cl.) designation to species plants. For example, Sylva Mather was an avid collector of African violet species from Kenya. Her plants were numbered after her death by British botanist Anne Robertson. Examples of clonal names from this collection are: Mather No. 2, Mather No. 12, and Mather EE. The Uppsala Botanical Gardens have also been a great collector of African violet species. Uppsala clones are often tagged with a four digit number such as 3089, 3090 and 3387, or the collector’s name such as “Protzen” may occasionally be used. Other species clones may be designated by older collecting names (Punter), or collection numbers (grandifolius 237, grandifolius 299).
