leaves ca 20, arcuate, densely rosulate, thin in texture, forming a broad funnelform rosette; sheath elliptic, 12 x 6–7 (–12) cm, densely brown-lepidote; blade narrowly lanceolate, narrowed toward base, 20–50 x 3–6 (–9) cm, canaliculate, bearing a slightly thicker median channel, lepidote toward apex to glabrescent, opaque adaxially, green or very often red-brown or purple abaxially, apex acuminate-caudate, margins very densely and finely spinulose, spines ca 0.5 mm long, 2–3 mm apart. inflorescence: peduncle 5–7 cm long, shorter than the leafsheaths; peduncle bracts subfoliaceous; fertile part twice-branched, obconic, capitate-rosulate, ca 6 cm long, 8–10 (–15) cm in diameter at apex, slightly exceeding the leaf sheaths but not elevated above the rosette; primary bracts ovate-lanceolate, apex shortly acuminate-caudate, suberect but the apex recurved, reddish-brown to reddishorange, densely lepidote toward apex, very densely spinulose toward apex, the basal bracts 10–12 x 5–7 cm; fascicles ca 8, the lower ones 30–35 x 20–25 mm wide, 5-to–8- (13)flowered; floral bracts broadly ovate, apex acute, entire, ca 25 x 20 mm, membranaceous, sublanate near the apex, about equaling 1/2 to 2/3 sepal length. flowers 45–56 mm long, nearly sessile; sepals subsymmetrical, oblong-elliptic, apex acute and apiculate, 20–25 x 7–10 mm, connate for 2–7 mm, membranaceous, glabrous; petals 30–35 x 5 mm, greenish white or yellowish with white margins, basal tube 8–10 mm long, bearing 2 fimbriate appendages at apex of tube, plus 2 longitudinal callosities equaling filament length. stamens: filament the antepetalous ones almost completely adnate to the petals, the antesepaious ones adnate to the petal tube then free for 18–20 mm; anther 5–6 mm long, apex distinctly apiculate. pistil: stigma subglobose, ca 1 mm long, margins inconspicuously crenulate; ovary ellipsoid-obovate, 10–12 mm long, ca 6 mm in diameter. fruits white with pale-brown, irregular spots, persistent calyx bright red toward apex.Edited from : Leme 2000. Nidularium, Bromeliads of the Atlantic Forest .