Looks like water damage to me or perhaps something lying on top of the leaf in that spot. As to the petioles, I have a few AVs that I grow in window light and they do end up looking just like that. The growth habit somehow seems appropriate for the lower light.

I get markings on my AV foliage like that from time to time.

I've never seen it lead to anything more serious. I think that your plant looks fine ...

such a pretty plant. you could always use that to start a new plant ...

Thanks, everyone. I've only had the plant since Saturday night, but it's looking better to me already. My friend who gave it to me is only home one day a week, so I think it had been neglected and water-stressed (too little water, followed by too much), and it had been growing in far too much sun. I'm still waiting for the overly-saturated soil to dry enough so that I can repot it with a better quality mix.

Hi All, I grow my african violets on windowsills. The leaves of some of my plants, especially the ones facing north have marks like the photos. This happens mostly in the spring, but the leaves stay like that until they grow out. I always thought it was like sunburn. If I am wrong, please let me know.

Yolanda

Yolanda, compare what your AV leaves look like to the photos of AV leaves with problems at this page: http://www.reedsgreenhouse.com/leaves/leaf-id.htm

The patterning on the leaves in the photo of mine look very much like the last photo on that page above. The description for that problem says:

Leaf #33

Missing green/streaks or "lighting strikes"

Caused by severe neglect and allowing to dry out. Once the plant is rehydrated this pattern may show up. Remove these leaves and keep the soil moist

That diagnosis makes perfect sense for my AV because I see minuscule streaking on the leaves and the person who gave me the plant was only home one day a week, at most, to care for it. The plant was also growing near a large bank of south-facing windows and getting LOTS of sun.

Can you post photos of your AV and its leaves?