plant 40–65 cm tall by ca 25 cm in diameter, leaf-rosette elongate-erect, growing in clumps of several individuals. leaves 32–45 cm long, blades 1.0–2.0 cm wide, flat, papery when dry, narrowly triangular, apex attenuate to filiform, densely appressed-lepidote; sheath 3.0–7.0 cm long, 2.0–3.5 cm wide, concolorous with blade below, dark brown above. inflorescence: peduncle 3–4 mm in diameter, erect; peduncle bracts 4.0–15.0 cm long, 1.0–1.2 cm wide, erect, sheaths clasping peduncle, caudate apices spreading, imbricate throughout; fertile part 12–14 cm long, ca 2.0 cm wide, simple, distichous, erect, linear-elliptic, glabrous, having 10–15 flowers, rachis strongly geniculate; floral bracts 2.5–3.0 cm long, 1.2–1.6 cm wide, erect in bud, erect to spreading after anthesis, ovate, glabrous without, pale lepidote within, subcarinate, slightly nerved apex acute. flowers: sepals 2.4–2.7 cm long, 6 mm wide, erect to spreading, acute, ovate with margins nearly straight, equally connate for 3–4 mm, adaxially carinate, slightly nerved, glabrous without, lepidote within; petals 4.0–4.5 cm long, blades ca 1.4 cm wide, erect, white. fruits to 6.5 cm long, distance between flowers 0.9–1.2 cm.Edited from : Gilmartin 1972. (protologue) The Bromeliaceae of Ecuador .