Aristea capitata ripening fruit

Producing seed from an Aristea capitata inflorescence involves the morphing of the flower ovaries into stalked fruit capsules with the right, prepared content. Everything else that was flower, especially the beautiful parts that served to entice, now redundant and discarded.

The stubby, three-winged capsules mature slowly from the end of summer through autumn, carrying the miracle of life in their specific way.  During this phase they are enveloped in packaging provided by persisting papery bracts from flowering time; something like maternity ward clothing.

Each capsule ends up full of pale brown seeds; small, flat and hard. The seasonal cycle concludes when the ripe fruits open to release their ultimate product, the seeds.

Propagation of Aristea capitata from seed is common in horticulture. The plant deserves space in more gardens (www.plantzafrica.com).