Aristea capitata

Aristea capitata, commonly known as the blue sceptre, in Afrikaans as the blouvuurpyl (blue rocket) and previously scientifically as A. major, is a robust, clump-forming perennial that grows from a rhizome, reaching heights around 1,5 m when in bloom.  

The species distribution is in the far southwest of the Western Cape, from the Piketberg and the upper Olifants River valley to Piketberg and southeast to the Klein River and Riviersonderend Mountains.

The habitat is lower fynbos slopes on sandstone, often in cool, moist places. The habitat population is deemed of least concern early in the twenty first century, in spite of losing part of the land where it used to grow.

Propagation from seed is common, but may also be done vegetatively by dividing rhizomes of mature plants, although this is not common (iNaturalist; www.plantzafrica.com; http://redlist.sanbi.org).