; 0 whole plant 4–6 ft; 1 high. leaves sessile, rosulate, ensiform, acuminate, 3–4 ft; long, 1 ½ - 2 in, broad low down, tapering gradually to a long point, moderately rigid, green and glabrous on both surfaces, armed with large pungent ascending slender brown horny spines; panicle lax, ample, rhomboid; rachises, pedicels and calyces tomentose; racemes lax, sub-secund, lower a foot long; branch-bracts small, spine-edged; floral bracts ovate, acute, scariose, ½ - ¾ in; long. flowers: pedicel ¼ - 1/3 in; sepals lanceolate, rigid, 1 ¼ –1 ½ in; long; petals bluish-green.Edited from : Baker 1889. (protologue) Handbook of the Bromeliaceae .