Ecological significance of a African Violet?

Question

How it is used in life

Answer 1

Saintpaulia are native to eastern tropical Africa with most of the species occurring in moist submontane or montane forest, few species appear in lowland forests. They grow in moist riverside settings much like ferns. The habitat is largely restricted to gneiss or limestone rocks, and steep slopes near water courses.
The rainforest is the last aspect of the older inhabitants before Africa began to change to dry savannah, scrub and woodland. These forests contain life forms that have existed greater than 10 million years.

They arose originally in the rainforests of the Uluguru Mts. of Tanzania. They are now found scattered in isolated mountain habitats that still offer refuge to these rare endemic species. They survive in 4 clades that relate to, now isolated, mountain communities that are made up of 17 - 20 species.