leaves to 3 dm long; sheath broadly ovate, about 5 cm long, only slightly broader than the blades, densely serrulate, stramineous, glabrous, even, lustrous; blade narrowly triangular, pungent, 2 cm wide, densely appressed-white-lepidote, soon glabrous above, the teeth uncinate, 5–6 mm long, flavous to dark-castaneous, distant. inflorescence: peduncle slender, soon glabrous; peduncle bracts broadly ovate, apiculate, the upper ones small, remote; fertile part laxly once-branched or twice-branched, pale-subfloccose-lepidote; primary bracts like the peduncle-bracts; branches suberect, up to 17 cm long; floral bracts broadly ovate, acuminate, about equaling the sepals, nerved, membranaceous, pale-stramineous, broadly hyaline-margined. flowers subsessile; sepals ovate, acute, 5–6 mm long, membranaceous; petals elliptic, obtuse, 8 mm long, white, sparsely lepidote outside. stamens included. fruits ovoid, acute, 1 cm long; carpels even.Edited from : Smith & Downs 1974. Pitcairnioideae (Bromeliaceae) in Flora Neotropica.