Saintpaulia of African violet is a nonwoody perennial flowering plant native to Tanzania and adjacent southeastern Kenya. Most species of this herbaceous plant can be found in the Nguru mountains of Tanzania. Belonging to the family Gesneriaceae, the saintpaulia is not a true violet. The flower gained it common name "African violet" from its superficial resemblance to the members of the family Violaceae.
Commonly kept as indoor plants, the saintpaulia is one of the widely cultivated house plants. It grows from six to fifteen centimeters in height and six to thirty centimeters in width. It has rounded to oval leaves )2.5–8.5 cm long) with long petioles possessing a finely hairy and fleshy texture. The flowers grow from two to three centimeters (in diameter) big with color varieties that include violet, purple, pale blue, or white. Despite being a popular plant, several of the species and subspecies of the African violet are endangered particularly those that naturally grow in the wild.