| Theses herbs are members of the "African Violet"
family , which is mostly found in tropics (Brazil), but includes
a few temperate taxa which are relicts from the Tertiary. The
family is characteristic of tropical rain forest understories,
and its members often have fuzzy leaves which are oppositely
arranged on the stem. Flowers of the Neotropical species are
usually funnel-shaped
for pollination by hummingbirds- a strictly Neotropical group
of birds. Cape Primrose
(Streptocarpus x hybridus)
is a complex hybrid derived from several species. |
