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Aristea (From arista a point or beard)

(from arista, a point or beard; in reference to the rigid points of the leaves). ORD. Irideae. A genus of greenhouse herbaceous perennials from the Cape of Good Hope. Flowers blue; perianth rotate, six-parted, twisted after flowering; scape two-edged, rigid, often branched. Leaves narrow, sword-shaped. The species are more interesting than ornamental, and may be grown in a compost of three parts turfy peat, and one of loam. Easily propagated by divisions and seeds. They vary in height from 3in. to 3ft., and flower generally in summer.

A. capitata (headed). fl. blue. July. h. 3ft. Cape of Good Hope, 1790. A. cyanea (bright blue). fl. blue. June h. 6in. Cape of Good Hope, 1759.