plant subacaulescent, flowering 4–6 dm high. leaves many, very densely rosulate; sheath broadly elliptic, large; blade ligulate, subacute and apiculate, 40–58 cm long, 4 cm wide, subcoriaceous, glabrous. inflorescence: peduncle central, erect, 6–7 dm high, 10 mm in diameter, glabrous; peduncle bracts erect, imbricate, the lower foliaceous, the upper narrowly ovate, acute; infiorescence simple, densely and distichously 13–17-flowered; floral bracts very broadly ovate, acute or obtuse, ecarinate, inflated, to 30 mm long, 35 mm wide, twice as long as the sepals, subcoriaceous, faintly nerved when dry. flowers reflexed at anthesis; sepals ovate, obtuse, 17 mm long, ecarinate, strongly convex, coriaceous; petals ligulate, obtuse, 30–32 mm long, bearing 2 acuminate, bipartite scales at base. stamens included.Edited from : Smith & Downs 1977. Tillandsioideae (Bromeliaceae). in Flora Neotropica.