plant acaule, propagating by short, erect axilar shoots and by basal, short stolons; stolons 2 mm diameter, covered by amplexicaule sheaths. leaves: sheath opposite and alternate, 1 cm long, 6 mm wide, triangular, apically serrate. leaves about 12 per rosette, (12-)18–30 cm long, forming a flat rosette; sheath* orbicular, inflated, margins serrate; blade linear-lanceolate to narrowly oblong, apically attenuate, short-acuminate, slightly narrowed at base but not petiolate, 30 cm long, 4 cm wide, thick and fleshy, maroon adaxially, with wavy crossbars formed by coarse gray appressed scales, completely covered with such scales abaxially, margins strongly undulate along the margin, subdensely serrulate, spines 1 mm long, antrorse, 0.5—1 mm apart. inflorescence with central fascicles mostly 2 flowered, staminate, the outer fascicles of 3 to 4 hermaphrodite flowers; primary bracts of the inflorescence like reduced leaves but with longer apices and cordate bases; floral bracts broadly ovate, about equaling the sepals, 0.9-–1 mm long, 9 mm wide, folded, cucullate, carinate, membranaceous, margins apically serrate, greenish (foster!). flowers: sepals connate byto a narrow tube 5 mm long, the free lobes broadly ovate, apiculate and serrulate, 3 mm long, whitish; petals white (foster!). fruits green, with 20–25 seeds; seeds rugose, 4–5 x 3 mm.Edited from : Ramirez 1996. Systematics, phylogeny and chromosome number evolution in Cryptanthus (Bromeliaceae) .