leaves 5–7 in a short tubular rosette, green above and brownish or reddish beneath, white-maculate on both sides, 4–8 dm long; sheath large but narrowly elliptic and scarcely distinct; blade ligulate, broadly rounded or acute, apiculate, 35–40 mm wide, laxly or sub densely serrate with antrorsely curved spines to 1 mm long. inflorescence: peduncle more or less decurved, (0r erect), slender, white-farinose; peduncle bracts large, lanceolate, acute, red; fertile part subpendulous, simple, laxly 7–17-flowered, white-farinose; rachis slender, straight or rarely slightly geniculate; lowest floral bracts usually large and like the peduncle-bracts, the others minute, acuminate. flowers: pedicel slender, 5–10 mm long. flowers more or less secund, 5–6 cm long; sepals strongly asymmetric, acute, 20 mm long, red; petals never spiraled, linear, acute, dark blue toward apex and the remainder greenish yellow, bearing 2 fimbriate scales at base. stamens included. pistil: ovary subovoid, sulcate, the epigynous tube short.Edited from : Smith & Downs 1979. Bromelioideae (Bromeliaceae) in Flora Neotropica.