plant epiphytic, stemless, flowering to 25 cm high. leaves imperfectly known, very likely exceeding the inflorescence, very dense appressed grey lepidote; sheath broad ovate, 5 cm long, dark brown; blade narrow triangular, pale, 18 mm wide. inflorescence: peduncle erect, 4 mm diam; peduncle bracts leaflike, erect, very densely imbricate, long caudate acuminate, much exceeding the inflorescence; fertile part dense once-branched panicle, ovoid, 8 cm long, dense grey lepidote; primary bracts broad ovate, almost as long as the spike, with a very narrow linear blade, much exceeding the lower spikes; spikes wide elliptic, acute, 45 mm long, 4 flowered, strongly complanate; floral bracts erect, densely imbricate, ovate, acuminate, to 35 mm long, equaling or exceeding the sepal, strongly carinate, membranous, red. flowers subsessile; sepals ovate, acuminate, 3 cm long, membranous, dense pale lepidote, adaxial pair joined to 5mm; petals and stamens unknown.Edited from : Smith 1937. Studies in the Bromeliaceae VIII .