; 0 large, epiphytic, terrestrial or lithophytic, acaulescent and rather variable herb, usually forming colonies. leaves numerous, rosulate; coriaceous, stiff, arching, to ca 1.5 m x 6–13 cm, minutely appressed-lepidote on both surfaces; sheath slightly wider than the blades, elliptic-ovate, dark brown, the margins entire or spinulose near the apex; blade ligulate, the margins armed with dark spines 1–2.5 mm long, the apex broadly acute to rounded, short-acuminate, terminating in a stout, dark mucro. inflorescence: peduncle erect, stout; 4–20 mm wide, densely creamy-white lanate-floccose; bracteoles erect, lanate-floccose, striate, sheathing, imbricate, concealing the peduncle, the margins weakly armed or entire, lanceolate, attenuate to acuminate, with a dark pungent tip; fertile part twice-branched, ovoid to ellipsoid or cylindrical, erect, exceeding or shorter than the leaves, creamy-white lanate or floccose throughout, 10–30 cm long, congested, especially toward the apex; lowest internodes to 2 cm long; primary bracteoles like those of the peduncle, the lower ones usually exceeding the branches, the upper ones usually shorter than the branches; spicate branches 15–20, strobilate, ovoid or ellipsoid to subcylindric, polystichously arranged, usually of simple spikes, or the lowermost ones with a small; secondary, sessile spike at the base; bracts broadly triangular-ovate, lanate, coriaceous, striate; equaling or exceeding the sepals, 1.2–2.5 cm long, acute or gradually short-acuminate for ca a third or less of their length, pungent. flowers sessile, polystichous; sepals strongly asymmetric, keeled, mucronate, 0.5–1.2 cm long; petals white, clavate, exceeding the sepals by 4–6 mm ovary subglobose, enlarged in fruit. fruits baccate, flattened-ovoid to pyriform, coriaceous, lanate, two-winged, ca 1.5 cm long.Edited from : Cedeno-Maldonado 2005. Bromeliaceae in Acevedo-Rodriguez, P. & M.T.Strong (eds.), Monocotyledons and Gymnosperms of Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands.