in 1882 adalbert emil walter redliffe le tanneux von st. paul-ilaire (known as baron walter), the governor of the usambara district of german east africa, collected seed and plants of a small herb which were sent to hermann wendland, director of the berlin royal botanic garden. wendland cultivated the plants and recognized them as representing a new species in a new genus, "saintpaulia ionantha", with the english common name african violet. in the generic name. saintpaulia he recognized von st. paul-ilaire; the specific name he assigned means violet (gr. ion) flower (gr. anthos). in their native usambara mountains cloudforests, the plants are threatened with extinction.