Hairy perennial herbs. Leaves in a rosette, ovate, crinkle-edged and blunt; hairs of 2 lengths on both surfaces. Flowers 8-10 together, to 2 cm or so wide. More or less violet or white with a violet throat. Fruit about 1 cm long.

Tanzania

Cultivars differ in habit, leaf shape and colouration, the leaves with different variegations and margin toothing, the flowers single or variously doubled, frilled or ruffled and varying from white to pink, violet, red and purple. The cultivars are sometimes divided into four broad groupings: standard, dwarf, miniature and trailing - they are too numerous to detail here. Cultivars are registered by the African Violet Society of America Inc.

Source: Spencer, R. (2002). Gesneriaceae. In: Spencer, R.. Horticultural Flora of South-eastern Australia. Volume 4. Flowering plants. Dicotyledons. Part 3. The identification of garden and cultivated plants. University of New South Wales Press.