Streptocarpus ionanthus ssp. velutinus is notable for its very hairy red-backed leaves, which are oval to elongated. The flowers are medium to dark blue, sometimes with white streaks. The hairs give a velvety appearance to the leaf surface, hence the Latin velutinus.
The fine specimen featured above was shown at the Gesneriad Society Convention in 2006.
A number of other views of this subspecies may be seen in a slideshow by clicking on one of the links below. Note that different films and digital cameras produce quite different color effects in the blue to purple color range, so slight differences in tone should not be taken as accurate representation.
