plant epiphytic (forero et al; 6065!), known only from fragments. leaves apparently dimorphic, some with large, triangular ovate sheaths and greatly reduced blades, others to 55 cm long, without petiole; sheath elongate, 3–4 cm in diameter, dark castaneous, covered with a brown membrane of appressed scales, coriaceous; the reduced blades slenderly elongate, about 10 cm long and 1.5–2 cm wide, serrate, spines 2 mm long; blade lanceolate, acuminate, nearly 3.5 cm wide, covered with appressed scales, channeled, slightly contracted at the base but not petiolate, subdensely armed at the base with 2 mm long spines. inflorescence: peduncle straight, 30–35 cm long, 3 cm in diameter, covered with spreading ferruginous scales; peduncle bracts densely imbricate, the lowest subfoliaceous, inflorescence simple, very dense, cylindrical, obtuse, to 50 cm long, 6–7 cm in diameter; floral bracts elliptic-lanceolate, acuminate, 4 cm long, reflexed at the tip during anthesis and deciduous later, minutely serrate, sparsely and obscurely floccose. flowers: pedicel short and stout, 8–10 mm long, angled, reflexed, ferruginous-tomentose; sepals lance-oblong, 3.5 cm long, inflated at the base and obtuse at the apex, lepidote, the adaxial ones carinate; petals to 6.5 cm long, spreading, orange (forero et al; 6065!). stamens exserted, anthers yellow (forero et al; 6065!). pistil: ovary half-superior; ovules caudate.Edited from : Syst. Bot.. (protologue) .