Aristea capitata flower close-up

The Aristea capitata flower has tepals with broadly rounded tips, roughly spoon-shaped. Dark blue longitudinal lines concentrated in the centre of the tepals end in the small yellow eye of the flower centre.

The corolla spreads widely, to a diameter of 2,5 cm. Three oblong yellow anthers on dark blue filaments, pale yellow at the base, curve inwards to each other. The style is longer than the stamens, also dark blue here, tapering to a tiny stigma (Manning, 2007; www.plantzafrica.com).