plant stemless, flowering to 80 - 100 cm long with the inflorescence extended; leaves, forming a dense rosette of a diameter of 80 - 90 cm. leaves: sheath distinct from the blades, 11 - 12 cm long, 9 - 10 cm broad, brownish-black on both sides; blade narrow-triangular, tapering into a long tip, 4 cm broad above the sheath, 40 - 50 cm long, densely adpressed grey lepidote. inflorescence: peduncle erect 30 - 35 cm long, 8 mm in diameter, peduncle-bracts densely imbricate and completely covering the peduncle, subfoliaceous; with 20 cm long erect densely grey lepidote blades; fertile part laxly comŽposed of 20 - 25 spikes, 35 cm long and 15 - 18 cm broad, primary bracts similar the peduncle-bracts, their sheaths shorter than the sterile parts of the spikes; the lower ones with blades exceeding the spikes, the upper ones only short tipped; spikes polystichous arranged, their sterile part erect, the fertile 15 - 20 flowered part spreading lanceolate, 12 - 14 cm long, 1 cm broad, not strongly complanate; floral bracts erect, distichous, densely imbricate not carinate and inconspicuous nerved, ovateŽtriangular, 1,7 cm long, 1 cm broad red, densely grey lepidote. flowers erect, distichous, 2, 2 cm long, sessile; sepals free, densely grey lepidote, red-tipped membranaceous, 1,2 cm long, 4 mm broad; petals dark-blue, with spreaded tips, 1,8 cm long, 4 mm broad, bearing two 9 mm long scales at the base. pistil: style and stamens included.Edited from : Bromel. Soc. Bull. 19: 111,figs. p. 110. (1969)