African Violets and Gesneriads: O.K. Let's Have Some FUN! An AV Trivia Contest!, 1 by begoniacrazii

begoniacrazii wrote:
1. Saintpaulia
2. Gesneriaceae
3. Mountains of South Africa and Tanzania
4. Baron St Paul Allaire who discovered them in 1892
5. Saint Paulia Ionantha
6. Come in white, blue, coral, pink, and yellow
7. Episcia, chiritas, alsobia, kohleria and codonanthe

*8. I have NO idea :)
9. I change this once a day or more!
10. Blue bird greenhouses I think :)

***

1. What is the African Violets’ genus?Genus-Saintpaulia
Baron Walter von Saint Paul did not relize that the plants he collected and sent to Germany were two different species within the same Genus-Saintpaulia . The original plants were all thought to be Saintpaulia inontha, , but later the second species was identfied as Saintpaulia confusa. It is from these two individuals that most African violets plants can claim their heritahe. Today there are 27 recongnized species within the African violet genus.


2. And from which Family is the African Violet?
Gesneriaceae Family

3. Where (geographically) did our present day African Violets originate? East Africa , Usambara Mountains

4. Who is this genus named after? And in what year and what country did the person collect the plant which bears their name?Baron Walter von Saint Paul is credited as bing the first person to realize the importance of the little purple flowering growing among the foothills of the Usambara Mountains. In the late 1800's he collected several plants in northern are of Tanzania. In 1892, Baron von Saint Paul sent seed from these plants to his father.( Registered 1893) Early records show the first African violets as arriving in the United States some where around 1894.The Director of the Botanical Gardens honored the father and son who had introduced this fascinating plant to the world by naming it after them " He called it Saintpaulia ionatha."
In 1965 if Dr. David Livingston had taken the time and interst in the flora of the area he surely would have been credited as being the discoverer of African violets. " Wonder what their name would have been if this happened lol "


5. Our present day common houseplant African Violet cultivars are derived from which species? S. ionantha
The first species to be named, it was later found that some of the plants were really what became S. confusa. THese two have lent more to today's cultivars than any others.
S. ionantha
A large frowers S. ionathea has dark -green, glossy, quilted, serrated leaves and clusters of the blue-violet flowers, numerous in count. It endures summer heat well, having evolved in torrid surroundings. Although leaves cup upward they have a tendency to droop slightly as tempertures approach 80 degrees.
Registered FC # S5 1893 H. Wendland Saintpaulia Species .
( to me looks like some Wasp plants )
Single blue -violet 4-5 per peduncle Dark green, pointed , heart-shape , tends to spoon , thick, quilted,
glossy, slightly serrated, long red-brown petiole/red back. Large growing !


6. African Violet blossoms come in what colors? Which color won't you find?
Blue, pink, rose, orchid, lavender, red, maroon, plum, burgundy, purple, violet, white, creamy, blush, green, ... Well the old books say violets don't come in Yellow but there are many yellow African violet blossoms now ! Is this what you meant of brown and black . lol Well not that there are brown's and blacks in FC.

7. Name five additional members (plants, include genus and/or species) who belong to the same Family as African Violets
.Gloxinia, Streptocarpus, Columnea, Sinningia, Episcia, Achimenes, Chiritas ,

***

1. What is the African Violets’ genus?

Saintpaulia

2. And from which Family is the African Violet?

Gesneriaceae

3. Where (geographically) did our present day African Violets originate?

native to Tanzania and adjacent southeastern Kenya in eastern tropical Africa, with a concentration of species in the Nguru mountains of Tanzania

4. Who is this genus named after? And in what year and what country did the person collect the plant which bears their name?

named after Baron Walter von Saint Paul Illaire

discovered the plant in Tanganyika (now Tanzania) in Africa in 1892

5. Our present day common houseplant African Violet cultivars are derived from which species?

ionantha

6. African Violet blossoms come in what colors? Which color won't you find?

They come in white, pink, purple, yellow, blue, green.

Interesting - this website states that african violets are not available in yellow:
"About the only colors African violets are not available in are yellow, orange and a vivid red."
[HYPERLINK@extension.usu.edu]

However, as I listed above, Wikipedia states, "They range in flower colour from white, pink, violet, yellow, and some even green"
[HYPERLINK@en.wikipedia.org]

This site says there are red african violets: "There are also red African violets, yellows and a few with pale green blossoms."
[HYPERLINK@www.backyardgardener.com]

Therefore, I suppose I'll go with orange as the color they're not available in.

7. Name five additional members (plants, include genus and/or species) who belong to the same Family as African Violets.

1. Chirita
2. Cape Primrose - Streptocarpus
3. Lace Flower - Alsobia dianthiflora
4. Goldfish plant - Columnea
5. Episcia

Extra Credit! (encouraged but not required)

8. What begonia with a pronounced sinus curl is named for a French delicacy? (ok. it's not an African Violet question, but it is my favorite genus AND it's my contest so I get to add it) (grin)

Genus: Begonia
Species: rex
Cultivar: Escargot

9. What is your all time favorite African Violet or African Violet kin? (Genus, species and cultivar name)

Now why would you even ask a question like this?? LOL
I truly don't know, but 'Shy Blue' sure is pretty. I can't find for certain what the species is, but I'll make my best guess:
Saintpaulia ionantha 'Shy Blue'

10. What is your favorite web site or link regarding African Violets and/or their ‘kin’?

Well, this is easy:
[HYPERLINK@davesgarden.com]
Dave's Garden African Violet Forum, of course!

***

1. What is the African Violets’ genus?
>>African Violets belong to the Saintpaulia genus

2. And from which Family is the African Violet?
>>African violets are part of the Gesneriaceae family

3. Where (geographically) did our present day African Violets originate?
>>Origin - Mountainous regions of South Africa and Tanzania (especially the Usumbara mountains)

4. Who is this genus named after? And in what year and what country did the person collect the plant which bears their name?
>>Discovered by Baron St Paul Illaire in the 1800s

5. Our present day common houseplant African Violet cultivars are derived from which species?
>>Most varieties are derived from Saintpaulia ionantha and Saintpaulia confusa and are from Central Africa, therefore the name African Violets is most appropriate.

6. African Violet blossoms come in what colors? Which color won't you find?
>>Currently available flower colors include blue,purple, red-violet, orchid, lavender, red pink,white, and bi-color or multi-colored and rare yellow
>> Won't find color green

7. Name five additional members (plants, include genus and/or species) who belong to the same Family as African Violets.
>> Plants of the Gesneriaceae family include:
Achimenes erecta
Achimenes grandiflora
Achimenes longiflora (Monkey-Faced Pansy, Magic Flower)
Achimenes misera
Achimenes patens
Alloplectus nummularia (Goldfish Plant)
Columnea schiediana
Corytoplectus cutucuensis
Episcia cupreata (Flame Violet)
Episcia lilacina (Flame Violet)
Gesneria pedicellaris
Gesneria ventricosa
Rehmannia elata (Chinese Foxglove)
Saintpaulia ionantha (African violet)
Sinningia speciosa (Brazilian Gloxinia)
Streptocarpus 'Constant Nymph'
Streptocarpus nobilis
Streptocarpus saxorum

Extra Credit! (encouraged but not required)

8. What begonia with a pronounced sinus curl is named for a French delicacy? (ok. it's not an African Violet question, but it is my favorite genus AND it's my contest so I get to add it) (grin)
>> Escargot

9. What is your all time favorite African Violet or African Violet kin? (Genus, species and cultivar name)
>> Saintpaulias ionantha BOB SERBIN

10. What is your favorite web site or link regarding African Violets and/or their ‘kin’?
>>http://www.robsviolet.com

***

1. Saintpaulia
2.Gesneriads
3.Tanzania
4.Baron Walter Von Saint-Paul in 1892 in Usambara. Mountains, Tanzania
5.Saintpaulia ionantha
6.blue,purple, red-violet, orchid, lavender, red pink,
white, and bi-color or multi-colored. Won't find a true yellow or a true red
7.Gloxinia (Sinningia hybrids)
Lipstick Plant (Aeschynanthus)
Streptocarpus (Cape Primrose)
Goldfish Plant (Nematanthus)
Flame Violet (Episcia)
8.Begonia Escargot
9.Episcia
10.http://davesgarden.com

***
1. What is the African Violets’ genus?
Santpaulia

2. And from which Family is the African Violet? Gesnariaceae

3. Where (geographically) did our present day African Violets originate?
Africa, of course! LOL More specifically, in the mountain cloud forests of Tanzania and Kenya.

4. Who is this genus named after? And in what year and what country did the person collect the plant which bears their name?
Baron Walter von Saint Paul Illaire, who collected seeds in Tanganyika (now Tanzania) in 1892
(Thanks for the wikipedia tip... this one had me stumped.)

5. Our present day common houseplant African Violet cultivars are derived from which species?
Santpaulia ionantha

6. African Violet blossoms come in what colors? Which color won't you find?
They come in all shades of blue, purple, white, pink, red/magenta, and more rarely in green or yellow (usually a minor color on the bloom). There is no orange AV.

7. Name five additional members (plants, include genus and/or species) who belong to the same Family as African Violets.

Episcia
Columnia (aka goldfish plant)
Nemanthus (also aka goldfish plant)
Gloxinia sylvatica (garden gloxinia)
Sinningia

(I hope listing just genus names is OK... you did say and/or, LOL... otherwise, I'll have to rely on my extra credit answers!)


Extra Credit! (encouraged but not required)

8. What begonia with a pronounced sinus curl is named for a French delicacy? (ok. it's not an African Violet question, but it is my favorite genus AND it's my contest so I get to add it) (grin)

ESCARGOT!

9. What is your all time favorite African Violet or African Violet kin? (Genus, species and cultivar name)

I have to agree with whomever posted "whichever one is blooming at the time!" But I do have a special place in my heart for my "Big Blue NoID" African Violet (Santpaulia ionantha). I hope I won't get this question wrong because my favorite is nameless! ;-)

10. What is your favorite web site or link regarding African Violets and/or their ‘kin’?

[HYPERLINK@www.robsviolet.com]


***

1. What is the African Violets’ genus?

Saintpaulia

2. And from which Family is the African Violet?

Gesneriaceae

Kingdom = Plantae Phyla = Anthophyta
Class = Eudiocots (formerly Magnoliopsida)
Order = Asteridae Family = Gesneriaceae
Genus = Saintpaulia
Species = the common houseplant is species ionantha

3. Where (geographically) did our present day African Violets originate?

The original species was found growing in 2 separate locations of northeast Tanga in Eastern Africa in 1892 by Captain Baron Walter von Saint Paul. African Violets were introduced to US in 1894 according to Dr. J. Raymond Kessler, Jr. of Auburn University; however, according to The African Violet Society of America, Inc., it wasn't until 1920 that the African violet was introduced in the United States. Additionally, FrontRangeLiving.com, notes that African Violets were discovered near Lake Tanganyika by Baron Walter von Saint Paul-Illaire in 1896 and it was not until the 1920’s that they became popular in the US after a California greenhouse began to sell them widely.

According to June 1953 African Violet magazine George Stumpp, a New York florist, came back from the 1893 International Horticultural Exhibit held in Europe w/ AV seed. The seed was sold to William Harris in Philadelphia. Harris, a florist grew the seeds for commercial use with limited success. Armacost and Royston 1927 in west Los Angeles, California ordered seeds from Ernest Benary of Erfurst Germany and Sutton of London and grew thousands of plants reservind only 100 for further observation. In 1932 Armacost and Royston released their "10 Original crosses" for commercial sale. Two were from the Benary Seed Company in Germany and the other eight came from Sutton in England.





The Original Ten Name Description Original Seed Co.

1. Blue Boy * Flower clusters from 3 to 7 of dark blue, over medium green pointed tips foliage Benary Seed Co
2. Sailor Boy Medium blue flowers over leaves that are medium to dark red/backed heart shaped foliage. Compact growth habit Benary Seed Co
3. Admiral Bluish/lavender flowers in clusters of 3 to 5 stand above deep green to chocolate brown leaf that is ovate, smooth with a slight cordate base red/backed leaves. Sutton Seed Co.
4. Amethyst * Abundant bloomer, flowers are small to medium orchid with the top two petals slightly darker than the lower petals. A glossy, heart shaped and quilted medium green foliage. Sutton Seed Co.
5. Commodore Grown in a flatten rosette form In good light leaves are dark green quilted, glossy with a flush wine tone underneath. Flowers are purple medium to large in size Sutton Seed Co.
6. Mermaid Flowers are medium blue small to size A glossy, heart shaped and quilted medium green foliage. Sutton Seed Co.
7. Neptune Medium bluish purple flowers that are quite rounded in shape over A large flat very dark green and quilted foliage Sutton Seed Co.
8. Norseman * Flowers are a good medium blue and rather round shaped. Foliage is a medium green slightly quilted, and glossy. Plant grows in a flat tight rosette. Sutton Seed Co.
9. Number 32 * Medium bluish/lavender flowers clustered over medium green glossy, quilted leaves having a slight red-back. Sutton Seed Co.
10. Viking A dark bluish/purple flowers clustered in 4 to 6 stand on top small leaves of deep green color with a lighter streak in the center. Mature leaves are glossy quilted and slightly cupped. Medium size compact flat growth. Sutton Seed Co.

4. Who is this genus named after? And in what year and what country did the person collect the plant which bears their name?

The original species was found growing in 2 separate locations of northeast Tanga in Eastern Africa in 1892 by Captain Baron Walter von Saint Paul. Plants or seeds were sent ot St. Paul’s father and African Violets quickly became popular in European Horticultural circles. Herman Wendlan, a prominent botanist at the Royal Botanical Gardens in Herrenhausen Germany, gave the genus name Saintpaulia in honor of its discoverer. The first plant was named Saintpaulia ionantha, which in Latin means "with violet-like flowers."

5. Our present day common houseplant African Violet cultivars are derived from which species?

According to Dr. Kessler 2 species, S. ionantha and S. confusa, became parents to most of the cultivators available today.

6. African Violet blossoms come in what colors? Which color won't you find?

This was a tough question for me and I spent a fair amount of time reading and searching and still I don’t really feel that I have the answer. According to the sites that I reviewed AV cultivars are placed into flower color categories; red, blue, purple, lavender, pink, white, or bicolor. I did not find a color category for black or orange; however I believe that corals and more orange-like flowers are included in with the reds. Although I have seen very dark purple AVs, that look almost black, I believe that black is the color that won’t be found.

All the early varieties were blue-violet until 1942 when both a pink and a white were successfully produced. In 1947, the first red blossom was introduced followed by two-toned varieties.
Variations in leaves began to appear, and then different blossom shapes from the original single blossoms evolved: double, star-shaped, ruffled, bell shaped, the "striped" chimeras, those edged in a different color. In recent years, hybridization efforts have finally produced a yellow blossom.

The following dates are from the AV Society of Canada:
1926 - Armacost & Royston, Los Angeles, import seed.
1935 - Armacost & Royston release first 10 varieties.
1939 - First double-blossomed plant appears.
1942 - First true pink blossom appears from seed.
1943 - First true white blossom appears from seed.
1951 - First miniature hybridized by Frank Tinari.
1952 - First white-edged blossom appears.
1953 - First star blossom (equal size petals) appears.
1954 - First pink double hybridized by Lyndon Lyon.
1957 - First trailing African violets hybridized
1960 - Crown variegation appears.
1961 - Mosaic variegation appears.
1967 - "Tommie Lou" variegation appears.
1974 - Lyndon Lyon hybridizes first miniature trailer.
1992 - First yellow blossomed plants hybridized


7. Name five additional members (plants, include genus and/or species) who belong to the same Family as African Violets.

There are more than 20 species belonging to this family. Chirita, Columnea, Streptocarpus, Episcia, Aeschynanthus and Gloxinia are 6 species included in the Gesneriaceae family.



Extra Credit! (encouraged but not required)


8. What begonia with a pronounced sinus curl is named for a French delicacy? (ok. it's not an African Violet question, but it is my favorite genus AND it's my contest so I get to add it) (grin)

Rex Begonia, Painted Leaf Begonia 'Escargot'
Begonia rex; Rex leaf color varies, but all have a metallic sheen. 'Escargot' leaves twist into a spiral resembling the coil of a snail shell- and it is really beautiful!


9. What is your all time favorite African Violet or African Violet kin? (Genus, species and cultivar name)

Saintpaulia 'Pow Wow'
Genus: Saintpaulia
Species: ionantha
Cultivar name: Pow Wow
[HYPERLINK@www.bluebirdgreenhouse.com]


10. What is your favorite web site or link regarding African Violets and/or their ‘kin’?

Truthfully my favorite site is the AV forum on Dave’s- so much knowledge and so many folks willing to share their knowledge.



Whew! The End!.


Thanks everyone, I hope you all had as much fun as I did. It would be great to continue this and make a monthly or bi-monthly thing. Could mean tons of fun. Someone can 'host' the contest or even make it a lottery. For example, you have a surplus of babies or leaves, you hold a lottery or contest of some type - your choosing, and then post it. Perhaps even have the winner pay the postage, that way those who want to hold a contest are under the burden of paying for the expense of shipping? Just a thought. Anyway - it was fun and I hope Ali - that you like the 'Treasure' you're getting!