Streptocarpus haygarthii Seeds
Cape Primrose
A popular houseplant, Streptocarpus, is an Afrotropical genus of flowering plants in the family Gesneriaceae. The genus is native to Afromontane biotopes from central, eastern and southern Africa, including Madagascar and the Comoro Islands. The flowers are five-petalled. In the wild, species can be found growing on shady rocky hillsides or cliffs, on the ground, in rock crevices, and almost anywhere the seed can germinate and grow. Although generally referred to simply as "Streptocarpus", or "Streps", the common name for subgenus Streptocarpus is Cape Primrose, referring to the nativity of several species to South Africa and their superficial resemblance to the unrelated genus Primula. The genus name Streptocarpus originates from the Greek words streptos, meaning twisted and carpus, meaning fruit, alluding to the general description of twisted seed capsules of these plants. Streptocarpus has approximately 51 species found in South Africa. Streptocarpus haygarthii, synonymously known as Streptocarpus reynoldsii, is a South African endemic species and one of numerous single-leaved, or unifoliate, Streptocarpus species. These plants will frequently grow for several years, with portions of the leaf dying back annually in response to drought or other seasonal circumstances. The portion dying back is named the abscission zone and the line marking the boundary between living and dead tissue is called the abscission line. Single-leaf species, like Streptocarpus haygarthii, frequently grow on vertical surfaces, such as rocks or trees, with the leaf hanging straight down. The unifoliate form is particularly well-adapted to such a position, as a taller plant with leaves sticking out would tend to pull out of the very shallow medium (mainly moss) within which the plant is rooted. Found in the Eastern Cape and KwaZulu-Natal Provinces, colonies can efficiently cover almost the entire surface of such a rock or tree. Streptocarpus haygarthii has significant floral variation across its range, with various degrees of flower colour and markings.
