Aristea abyssinica Pax

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Photo: Bart Wursten
Chinyakwaremba, Vumba

Photo: Stefaan Dondeyne
Tsetsera plateau

Photo: Bart Wursten
Slopes Mt Nyangani, Nyanga National Park.

Photo: Bart Wursten
Along Circular Drive towards Mt Nyangani, Nyanga National Park.

Upland miombo woodland
Mafinga Mts., Mafinga Distr.
Jan 2022
Photo: Nick Wightman

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Species details: Click on each item to see an explanation of that item (Note: opens a new window)

Synonyms:	Aristea alata Baker subsp. abyssinica (Pax) Weim. Aristea cognata N.E. Br. ex Weim. Aristea johnstoniana Rendle
Common names:
Frequency:
Status:	Native
Description:	Perennial herb, 12-30 cm tall, often of much smaller size than related species, especially at higher altitudes. Leaves several, linear, 2-5 mm wide, all basal except for 1 short leaf, 3-5 cm long near the apex of the compressed, broadly winged, unbranched stem. Flowers in 1-3 subsessile, 4-flowered, (sub)terminal clusters, blue. Capsule 7-9 mm long, ovoid-obovoid.
Type location:	Ethiopia
Notes:
Derivation of specific name:	abyssinica: of Abyssinia (Ethiopia)
Habitat:	In (sub)montane grassland, often on shallow soil overlying rock.
Altitude range: (metres)	Above 1500 m
Flowering time:	Dec - Feb
Worldwide distribution:	DRC, Ethiopia, Kenya, Tanzania, Malawi, Mozambique, Zambia, Zimbabwe and South Africa as far as Eastern Cape.
FZ divisions:	MS
Growth form(s):
Endemic status:
Red data list status:
Insects associated with this species:
Spot characters:	Display spot characters for this species
Images last updated:	Sunday 29 July 2012
Literature:	Goldblatt, P. (1993). Iridaceae Flora Zambesiaca 12(4) Pages 6 - 8. (Includes a picture). Mapaura, A. & Timberlake, J. (eds) (2004). A checklist of Zimbabwean vascular plants Southern African Botanical Diversity Network Report No. 33 Sabonet, Pretoria and Harare Page 92. Moriarty, A. (1975). Wild Flowers of Malawi Purnell & sons Cape Town. Pages 11 - 12. As Aristea alata (Includes a picture). Strugnell, A.M. (2006). A Checklist of the Spermatophytes of Mount Mulanje, Malawi Scripta Botanica Belgica 34 National Botanic Garden of Belgium Page 109. Wursten, B., Timberlake, J. & Darbyshire, I. (2017). The Chimanimani Mountains: an updated checklist. Kirkia 19(1) Page 83.

Other sources of information about Aristea abyssinica:

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Flora of Burundi: Aristea abyssinica
Flora of Malawi: Aristea abyssinica
Flora of Zambia: Aristea abyssinica
Flora of Zimbabwe: Aristea abyssinica

External websites:

African Plants: A Photo Guide (Senckenberg): Aristea abyssinica
African Plant Database: Aristea abyssinica
BHL (Biodiversity Heritage Library): Aristea abyssinica
EOL (Encyclopedia of Life): Aristea abyssinica
GBIF (Global Biodiversity Information Facility): Aristea abyssinica
Google: Web - Images - Scholar
iNaturalist: Aristea abyssinica
IPNI (International Plant Names Index): Aristea abyssinica
JSTOR Plant Science: Aristea abyssinica
Mansfeld World Database of Agricultural and Horticultural Crops: Aristea abyssinica
Plants of the World Online: Aristea abyssinica
Tropicos: Aristea abyssinica
Wikipedia: Aristea abyssinica