any of several tropical African plants of the genus Saintpaulia, esp S. ionantha, cultivated as house plants, with violet, white, or pink flowers and hairy leaves: family Gesneriaceae
the plant family Gesneriaceae, characterized by herbaceous plants having a basal rosette of usually toothed leaves, tubular two-lipped flowers, and fruit in the form of a berry or capsule, and including the African violet, gloxinia, and streptocarpus.
