On African violets and Cape primroses-towards a monophyletic Streptocarpus (Gesneriaceae)

Recent phylogenetic studies have shown that Colpogyne, Hovanella, Linnaeopsis, Saintpaulia and Schizoboea (Gesneriaceae) are embedded in Streptocarpus. Saintpaulia had been expanded to over 20 species, but this narrow species concept was challenged by recent studies that showed that most of these taxa were poorly genetically and morphologically differentiated. The number of species in Saintpaulia has been reduced to six, with the majority of former species reduced to subspecies and varieties of S. ionantha. A key to the species in Streptocarpus subgenus Streptocarpella in tropical East Africa, and new combinations in Streptocarpus are provided here.