plant 1m high, robust leaves to 35 cm long, 25 mm wide above the sheath, then gradually narrowing to a subulate filiform tip, rigid, dense grey lepidote. inflorescence: peduncle robust, totally enveloped by bladdery sheaths which are very wide ovate-elliptic, ending in a long narrow decurved blade; fertile part many flowered, very large wide thyrsoid shape, once-branched, dense, almost 30 cm long, to 20 cm diam; primary bracts (lower bracts neglected) much shorter than the spikes; spikes densely fan shaped, to 14flowered, broad lanceolate, sessile, to 9 cm long, 3 cm wide, spreading or the upper ones sub-erect spreading; floral bracts densely imbricate, glabrous, shiny, smooth or veined towards the tip, strongly carinate, rigid, to 25 mm long, equalling the sepals. flowers straight erect, to 45 mm long; sepals abaxial free, adaxial connate for 7mm, papery, glabrous, smooth, wide-lanceolate, becoming acute, to 25 mm long petals to 15 mm longer than the sepal, tubular erect, shorter than the stamens; collections mexico, guanajuato (duges), near las seneguias (langlasse).Edited from : Mez 1935. (protologue) Bromeliaceae (part 1-4) in Engler, A. (ed) Das Pflanzenreich.