Aristea ecklonii Baker

Marsh Aristea

Stem flattened, leafy, to 75 cm with loose flowering branches. Leaves 20-60 cm long, 10-23 mm wide, arching. Spathes green. Flowers bright blue; perianth segments ovate, about 15 mm long, 10 mm wide; spring. Anthers oblong, 2.5 mm, yellow. Syn. A. cyanea De Willd.

Naturalised as a weed of native vegetation in Victoria.

Cape Province.

A. ensifolia Weim. from Cape Province has a cyclindrical stem, erect, to 1.2 m tall with a dense terminal panicle. Leaves to 70 cm, rigid. Spathes green. Flowers deep blue, 2 cm wide, each lasting one morning only; spring to summer. Anthers bright orange.

A. capitata (L.) Ker Gawl. from SW Cape Province has a stem to 1.4 m with a dense terminal panicle, all clusters sessile. Leaves to 95 cm long, 15-25 mm wide, with brown margins. Spathes 8-11 mm long, red-brown. Flowers deep blue; perianth segments obovate, 12-15 mm long; spring. Anthers yellow. Style 10-12 mm long. Syn. A. major Andrews; A. thyrsiflora misapplied.

Source: Cooke, D. (2005). Iridaceae. In: Spencer, R.. Horticultural Flora of South-eastern Australia. Volume 5. Flowering plants. Monocotyledons. The identification of garden and cultivated plants. University of New South Wales Press.

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Distribution map
kingdom Plantae
phylum   Tracheophyta
class    Magnoliopsida
superorder     Lilianae
order      Asparagales
family       Iridaceae
genus        Aristea Aiton