What was Walter doing that day, wandering about in the mountains of northern Tanzania (then Tanganyika)? Was he hiking through the hills for exercise, was he trying to escape the heat, or did he suddenly get caught short during an official business trip?

Since Walter was an employee of the German government, actually the Regional Commissioner in the northern port of Tanga in German East Africa, and a keen plant collector, I suspect he was taking a flex day to see if there was anything worth discovering in the nearby hills.Whatever he set out to do that day in 1892, Walter, full name Baron Walter von St. Paul, even fuller name Adalbert Emil Walter Redliffe le Tonnevy Von St Paul-Illaire, made a fortuitous discovery

He hadn't climbed very high, maybe around fifty meters above sea level, when he spotted a small plant in a cool, rocky crevice, shaded from the hot sun and rooted in just enough decaying vegetable to sustain it. It wasn't much of a plant, but something about it was vaguely familiar to the baron. The hillside may have been covered in it, or it may have been the only one in sight, but I doubt Walter realized he was looking at a plant that would become one of the most popular houseplants in the world. Not right away, though

First, he had to dig it out and ship it home to his father who, recognising it as something unique, rushed it over to Herman Wendland, director of the Royal Botanic Gardens at Herrenhausen. Herr Wendland studied the plant and concluded it was indeed a new species and should be named after its discoverer, Walter.

He chose not to name the plant Wally, but instead, having plenty of choices with a name like Adalbert Emil Walter Redliffe le Tonnevy Von St Paul-Illaire, settled on Saintpaulia, and as the flowers of the plant resembled those of the true violet, he added the name Ionantha (violet-flowered). Hence the botanical name, Saintpaulia Ionantha, much better known as the African violet.

The African violet is not related to true violets, which are members of the same family, but belong to the Gesneriaceae group. It's a large one containing plants from many different environments around the world, although most are tropical or semi tropical, and includes such familiar cousins as lipstick plant (Aeschynanthus), goldfish plant (Nematanthus), Streptocarpus, and florist Gloxinia.

It soon became a popular houseplant in Europe and by the late 1920's, greenhouses that had specialized in the plant were beginning to export seed. California firm of Armacost and Royston began producing the plant and by the 1930's it was on its way to becoming the popular houseplant it is today.

These plants flower profusely and at this time of year we're all looking for something other than white around us, which is why those cute little African violets look so attractive perched on the shelf at the grocery store. If you do choose to take one home with the groceries, remember the conditions of its homeland and make sure it s well wrapped up before you trek across the parking lot to your frozen car. I'd suggest tucking it under your coat, but please, not until after you've passed through the checkout.