; 0 climbing woody stem averaging over 1 m long. leaves few, erect; sheath broadly ovate, 3–4 cm long, dark castaneous, covered with a buff membrane of coalesced scales; petiole distinct, stout, channeled, densely serrate with dark spines to 3 mm long; blade oblanceolate, acute, 85–95 cm long, 105–125 mm wide, entire, flat, glabrous or slightly flocculose beneath. inflorescence: peduncle erect, stout, 3–4 dm long; peduncle bracts very densely imbricate, some subfoliaceous, others vaginiform, elliptic, caudate; fertile part simple, densely cylindric, 3–8 dm long, 3–4 cm thick before anthesis; floral bracts strict, broadly elliptic, acute or acuminate, 7–8 cm long, much exceeding the sepals, chartaceous, pink or dark ochraceous, drying, to castaneous. flowers erect or spreading at anthesis; pedicel to 1 cm long; sepals oblanceolate, broadly acute and apiculate, 45 mm long, 10 mm wide, thin; petals 8 cm long, exceeding the stamens, yellow, bearing a large truncate scale at base.Edited from : Smith & Downs 1974. Pitcairnioideae (Bromeliaceae) in Flora Neotropica.