plant very vigorous, looking like a pandanus, recalling a little a gigantic pineapple. leaves close together, widely arched, channelled, reaching to 1,5 m, sometimes longer, about 7 cm wide, bright green underneath, green farinaceous or powdery grey above, on the sides, in the bottom part, distant, sharp teeth, decreasing successively toward the summit, where some are lacking. inflorescence: peduncle central, pinky farinaceous, with pink powdery bracts; fertile part fusiform 20 cm and more long, and 8–10 at its widest diameter, with powdery rose scales, the outside, glabrous and lively red on the inside; branches axillary, flowers sessiles, distichous, usually five, plus a terminal one that remains rudimentary; buds rounded conic, with divisions of a beautiful purple sheen on the outside, powdery mother of pearl at the base. flowers: corolla well exceeding the calyx, lilac mother of pearl at the base, dark purple towards the summit that hardly opens up, the three divisions nearly joined, acuminate, acute. stamens included or subequal, three adnate for all their length, with very large filiments or lamelliforme. pistil: ovary inferior surmounted by a style crowned with a bulging trilobed stigma, feathery or papillose; locules 3, with numerous seeds.Translated by Butcher from: Revue Hort 49: 129, figs. 23, 24, pI.. (1877)