Optimara Violet Glossary: N

N: Symbol for nitrogen, an essential element.

Na: Symbol for sodium, a trace element.

Nancy: Rhapsodie variety. Medium, standard African Violet (4-inch pot size) with frilled, light pink flowers and dark green leaves (red reverse). Introduced 1988. (AVSA Reg. No. 6987) More information.

Nancy Reagan Variegated: Leaf type. Describes the pattern of a variegated leaf where the lighter areas appear predominantly in the center of the leaves. Also see Champion Variegated, Mosaic Variegated and Tommie Lou Variegated.

Nashville: Optimara variety. Compact African Violet (3-inch pot size) with frilled, pink flowers and medium green, girl-type leaves. Introduced 1987. (AVSA Reg. No. 6580) More information.

Nassau: Optimara variety. Medium, standard African Violet (4-inch pot size) with single, bi-color flowers. Flowers are light blue with a white edge. Leaves are medium green. Introduced 1987. (AVSA Reg. No. 6581) More information.

Natalie: Rhapsodie variety. Medium, standard African Violet (4-inch pot size). Flowers are frilled blue stars with a white edge. Leaves are medium green (red reverse). Introduced 1993. (AVSA Reg. No. 8348) More information.

Natasha: Rhapsodie variety. Medium, standard African Violet (4-inch pot size) with single, bi-color flowers. Flowers are dark burgundy with a white edge. Leaves are medium green. Introduced 1995. (AVSA Reg. No. 8349) More information.

Natural Organic Fertilizer: Sometimes called organic fertilizer. Generally refers to any fertilizer which is derived from plant or animal matter, i.e., it not produced from geological sources such as minerals. By their very nature, natural organic fertilizers are an inefficient and often imprecise source of nutrient elements. They are, therefore, not recommended for African Violets. Other fertilizers which have been formulated from mined sources, i.e., rocks, provide a safe, efficient and much more reliable source of the elements that African Violets need.

Navajo: Optimara miniature variety. See Little Navajo Girl.

Nebraska: Optimara variety. Medium, standard African Violet (4-inch pot size) with frilled, semi-double, bi-color flowers. Flowers are reddish-purple with a white edge. Leaves are dark green. Introduced 1987. Improved 1998 and 1999. (AVSA Reg. No. 6582) More information.

Neck: Also called collar, main stem or leader. On African Violets, the neck is the part of the plant just below the leaves which connects to the roots.

Necrosis: Condition describing dead plant tissue.

Neem: Also called Azadirachtin. An organic pesticide used to control insects and related pests. Neem is extracted from the seeds of the Neem Tree. It discourages feeding by making African Violets unpalatable to such pests as Aphids, Beetles, Caterpillars, Mealy Bugs, Mites, Thrips and Whiteflies. Neem is considered virtually non-toxic to humans. It is classified for general use by the EPA.

Nematicide: Pesticide used to control Nematodes. Nematicides labeled for used on African Violets include Metasystox and Vydate, neither of which is available without a pesticide license.

Nematodes: Microscopic, unsegmented worms known to feed on African Violets. See Leaf Nematodes and Root Nematodes.

Neptune: Early African Violet cultivar from which many of today's varieties have been developed. One of the first 10 commercial hybrids introduced in 1927, all of which had blue flowers. More information.

Neutral: pH value describing a substance, i.e., water or soil, which is neither acid or alkaline. Specifically, the pH of a neutral substance measures 7.0.

Nevada: Optimara variety. Medium, standard African Violet (4-inch pot size) with frilled, bi-color flowers. Flowers are white with a red edge. Leaves are medium green. Introduced 1988. (AVSA Reg. No. 6964) More information.

New Brunswick: Optimara variety. Large, standard African Violet (4-inch pot size) with single, blue flowers and medium green leaves. More information.

New Hampshire: Optimara variety. Large, standard African Violet (4-inch pot size) with single, dark burgundy flowers and medium green leaves (red reverse). Introduced 1995. (AVSA Reg. No. 8330) More information.

New Jersey: Optimara variety. Medium, standard African Violet (4-inch pot size) with frilled, dark pink flowers and medium green leaves. Introduced 1977. Improved 1988. (AVSA Reg. No. 3157 and 6965) More information.

New Mexico: Optimara variety. Medium, standard African Violet (4-inch pot size) with frilled, light purple flowers and medium green leaves (red reverse). Introduced 1987. (AVSA Reg. No. 6583) More information.

New Orleans: Optimara variety. Compact African Violet (3-inch pot size) with frilled, semi-double, light purple flowers and dark green, girl-type leaves. Introduced 1987. (AVSA Reg. No. 6584) More information.

New York: Optimara variety. Medium, standard African Violet (4-inch pot size). Flowers are dark blue stars. Leaves are medium green. Introduced 1977. (AVSA Reg. No. 3158) More information.

Nicole: Rhapsodie variety. Medium, standard African Violet (4-inch pot size) with single, red flowers and medium green leaves. Introduced 1990. Improved 1994. (AVSA Reg. No. 7362) More information.

Niki: Holtkamp variety (Europe). Large, standard African Violet (4-inch pot size) with single, bi-color flowers. Flowers are blue and white. Leaves are medium green. Available in the U.S. as Maine.

Nitida: See Saintpaulia nitida.

Nitrate Nitrogen: A common form of nitrogen contained in many fertilizers for African Violets.

Nitrogen: (N) Major element essential to the growth and vitality of African Violets. One of the three primary elements. Nitrogen is important for overall growth and the development of green leaves and stems.

Nitrogen Deficiency: Condition which describes an African Violet that is not getting enough nitrogen. Among other symptoms, a deficiency of nitrogen can cause the leaves to grow smaller than normal and chlorosis on the leaf margins (halo-ing). More information.

Nitrogen Overload: Condition which describes an African Violet that is getting too much nitrogen. Among other symptoms, an excess of nitrogen can cause variegated leaf varieties to turn entirely green and leaf tip burn. More information.

Nobuko: Holtkamp variety (Europe). Medium, standard African Violet (4-inch pot size) with frilled red flowers and dark green leaves. Available in the U.S. as Missouri.

Node: The swollen end of a stem from which some other parts of a plant will grow. On a petiole, a leaf will grow from the node. On a pedicel, a flower bud will grow from the node.

Non-Dropping Flowers: Flowers, on an African Violet, which do not drop. Instead, at the conclusion of their cycle, non-dropping flowers will quickly shrivel up until the bloom and its pedicel virtually disappear. Prior to the introduction of the non-dropping characteristic, the slightest disturbance would cause flowers to drop. Non-dropping flowers were developed by Hermann Holtkamp during the 1950s and early 1960s. The characteristic was first introduced in 1965 with a new Rhapsodie variety called Elfriede.

Non-Urea Fertilizer: Fertilizer which does not contain urea as a source of nitrogen. When selecting a fertilizer, it is important to choose one that does not contain urea nitrogen, since urea causes Root Burn on African Violets.

Norseman: Early African Violet cultivar from which many of today's varieties have been developed. One of the first 10 commercial hybrids introduced in 1927, all of which had blue flowers. More information.

North Carolina: Optimara variety. Medium, standard African Violet (4-inch pot size) with single, red flowers and medium green leaves. Introduced 1987. Improved 1988. (AVSA Reg. No. 6585 and 6966) More information.

North Dakota: Optimara variety. Medium, standard African Violet (4-inch pot size) with single, bi-color flowers. Flowers are white with a blue center. Leaves are medium green. Introduced 1987. Improved 1995. (AVSA Reg. No. 6586 and 8331) More information.

NPK: Abbreviation for the primary elements, nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P) and potassium (K). In the U.S., the percentages of these elements are required to be on the front label of all fertilizers. The percentages appear as numbers, i.e., 14-12-14, where the first number is always N, the second number is always P, and the third number is always K.

Number 32: Early African Violet cultivar from which many of today's varieties have been developed. One of the first 10 commercial hybrids introduced in 1927, all of which had blue flowers. More information.

Nutrient: See Nutrient Element.

Nutrient Element: Also called nutrient. Any element absorbed by African Violets and other plants which, in some way, contributes to their growth and development. Also see Essential Element and Trace Element.

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