Aristea africana flower

The six blue tepals of the Aristea africana flower spread from the tiny cream-coloured mouth in uneven undulations like pennants in the wind. The three stamens have cream anthers balanced off-centre on blue filaments resembling ceremonial pickaxes displayed when no work is done. The blue style ends in the three-lobed stigma… some gender distance clearly attempted here.

The short-lived flower shrivels dramatically, its bracts drying into pale threads as seen below the open flower of the day. Tomorrow may have a new one open if the cluster still has one more bud (Manning, 2007; Bean and Johns, 2005).