Aristea nigrescens J.C.Manning & Goldblatt

Plants mostly 250-400 mm high, in small clumps. Stem angled to slightly winged, bearing 2 or 3 short, reduced leaves, unbranched, rarely with one sessile lateral flower cluster. Leaves in a basal fan, linear, 1/3 to ± 1/2 as long as stem, loosely twisted, 3-5 mm wide. Flower clusters 4-to 6-flowered; spathes broadly lanceolate, acute, green at base, dry and papery brown in distal 2/3 with paler margins, sometimes irregularly torn, (10-)12-15 mm long; bracts entirely dry and papery, 5-7 mm long. Flowers on pedicels ± 1.5 mm long, upright, white or pale to mid-blue but paler in centre, outer tepals partially glossy black on reverse; tepals spreading, obliquely obovate-spathulate, subequal or inner slightly broader, (20-)25-25 x 13-14 mm. Filaments suberect, 5-7 mm long, white to pale blue; anthers 6-7 mm long, yellow; pollen yellow. Ovary cylindric, ± 10 mm long, elongating rapidly after fertilization; style 12-15 mm long; stigma lobes broad, deeply fringed, 1.5-2.5 mm long. Capsules on pedicels up to 12 mm long, cylindric, 3-lobed in section, 40-50 mm long. Seeds numerous per locule, triangular-columnar, base and apex truncate, papillate along angles, apex and base, obscurely alveolate on faces, reddish brown.