; 0 stem from underground branches with branches ending in a dense thorny rosette clump in compact heaps. leaves rosulate, linear, elongated, gradually narrowing to a narrow thorny tip, 40 to 60 cms; long; x 11 to 22 mm; wide immediately above the sheath and 5–10 mm; wide; at half their length; coriaceous, rigid, somewhat curved; margin with erect or slightly curved, very sharp, reddish or yellowish thorns, 2–4 mm; long., directed upwards; with flat, finely striated back, both sides densely covered with scales that surpass the edges and give them an ashen white aspect; in the sheath these scales partially fall but even in mature and old leaves they are mostly conserved; sheath abruptly enlarged truncate-orbicular, up to 55 mm.wide; x 40 mm; long in plants with maximum development, thick, white, in the bordering area with the blade abundantly covered with white or whitish, slate-like, heaped scales; basal leaves of the peduncle similar to the rosulate ones, but diminishing in length, narrower sheath and erect to the peduncle, also very scaly but fainter on the face, greenish; the middle and upper part much shorter, widening in the part corresponding to the sheath and reducing to the linear and acute blade in similar transition to the bracts, the wide part is herbaceous-scaled, becoming thick, ovate, strongly striate nerved, rugulose, olive-brownish, somewhat brilliant amonst a delicate wooliness of star-like hairs or bristles; edges dentate thorny. inflorescence: peduncle densely covered by imbricate leaves, 40 cm; to 1m high, 12–24 cms; diameter at its base, green, obtusely striate, barely woolly; fertile part racemose, simple, 10–30 cm; long.,3.5–4 cm; diameter; floral bracts herbaceous-membranous, olive-brownish or violet, ovate or orbicular, abruptly acuminate spined at the apex, inwardly hairless or with very scarce scales, outwardly more or less brilliant with a little dense white tomentose striate veins margin more or less dentate thorny in the middle and lower ones, the upper ones flat; 20–45 mm; long; x 18–35 mm; wide flowers sunsessile, solitary in the axil of each bract in very dense, imbricate raceme. flowers: calyx shorter than the bract; sepals wide oblong, attenuate and obtuse at the apex, abruptly mucronulate, dorsal brilliant and greenish, in the upper part brown violet, 13–18 mm; long, x 6–10 mm, wide., sparsely woolly haired; petals blue, much extended, strongly tongue-shaped rounded-spatulate at the tip, mucronulate, and cut short at the apex, 30 to 35 mm; long; x 9 mm.wide., one 4–5 mm; wide; all withering to violet and red. stamens included, filaments 16 to 20 mm; long; anther yellow for the pollen, elliptic lanceolate, 4 mm; long. pistil: style longer, with green spiralling stigma. fruits ovoid acuminate, more or less apiculate, trigonous, with 3 deep grooves, smooth, 16–18 mm, long; x 14 mm, wide; seeds triangular 3–4 mm.Translated by Butcher from: Cuatrecasas 1941. (protologue) Notas a la Flora de Colombia III .