leaves nearly 1 m long, densely pale-lepidote beneath, spotted toward base; sheath narrowly elliptic, large; blade ligulate, attenuate to an acute apex, 6–10 cm wide, densely serrate with brown subspreading spines 3 mm long. inflorescence: peduncle decurved, slender, densely white-farinose; peduncle bracts elliptic, ample, to 20 cm long, thin, rose, white-lepidote; fertile part pendulous, simple, cylindric, 2 dm long, sublax, densely white-farinose; rachis straight; floral bracts ovate, acute, the lowest exceeding the sepals, the others shorter than the ovary. flowers erect to suberect, sessile, to 8 cm long; sepals equal, elliptic, abruptly acute, to 10 mm long, verrucose at base; petals unguiculate, spirally recurved at anthesis, exceeding the stamens and pistil before, flavous green except the violaceous apex. stamens: anther filamentous, 20 mm long. pistil: ovary urceolate, sulcate, densely verrucose, the epigynous tube short and broad.Edited from : Smith & Downs 1979. Bromelioideae (Bromeliaceae) in Flora Neotropica.