Spermatophyta: Dicotyledonae: Metachlamydeae: Lamiales

Gesneriaceae - African violet family

Hilliard, O.M. & Burtt, B.L. (1988) Gesneriaceae Flora Zambesiaca 8(3)

Description of the family

Herbs, often glandular-hairy. Leaves either 1 or several. Inflorescence of open axillary cymes. Calyx divided to the base into 5 segments. Corolla zygomorphic, gamopetalous, 5-lobed, ± 2-lipped. Stamens: anterior 2 fertile, lateral staminodes usually present, the posterior often 0. Ovary superior, usually 1-locular. Ovules numerous. Fruit a ± cylindric capsule. Seeds numerous, small.

Worldwide: 141 genera and 2,900 species, tropical.

Zimbabwe: 2 cultivated genera and 2 cultivated taxa.

No image of a cultivated species but there is an image of a native or naturalised species

Links to cultivated genera:     View: living plant images - herbarium specimen images - all images for this family

GenusContent
Kohleria RegelDescription
Streptocarpus Lindl.Description

Other sources of information about Gesneriaceae:

Our websites:

Flora of Caprivi: cultivated Gesneriaceae
Flora of Malawi: Gesneriaceae
Flora of Mozambique: Gesneriaceae
Flora of Mozambique: cultivated Gesneriaceae
Flora of Zambia: Gesneriaceae
Flora of Zimbabwe: Gesneriaceae

External websites:

African Plants: A Photo Guide (Senckenberg): Gesneriaceae
BHL (Biodiversity Heritage Library): Gesneriaceae
EOL (Encyclopedia of Life): Gesneriaceae
GBIF (Global Biodiversity Information Facility): Gesneriaceae
Google: Web - Images - Scholar
iNaturalist: Gesneriaceae
IPNI (International Plant Names Index): Gesneriaceae
JSTOR Plant Science: Gesneriaceae
Mansfeld World Database of Agricultural and Horticultural Crops: Gesneriaceae
Wikipedia: Gesneriaceae
Plants of the World Online: Gesneriaceae
Tropicos: Gesneriaceae



Copyright: Mark Hyde, Bart Wursten, Petra Ballings and Meg Coates Palgrave, 2002-24

Hyde, M.A., Wursten, B.T., Ballings, P. & Coates Palgrave, M. (2024). Flora of Zimbabwe: Cultivated plants: Family page: Gesneriaceae.
https://www.zimbabweflora.co.zw/cult/family.php?family_id=92, retrieved 19 March 2024

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