plant flowering to 8 dm high but usually less. leaves to 3 dm long, dark red below or the sheaths green with red spots, green or green with red spots above; blade 4–5 cm wide, ligulate, acute. inflorescence: peduncle erect, about equaling the leaves; peduncle bracts imbricate, the lower ones produced into a short spreading blade, the upper ones abruptly acute; fertile part simple, cylindric, to 17 cm long, densely 10–24-flowered; floral bracts very broadly ovate, obtuse, 25 mm long, 28 mm wide, shorter than the sepals, not at all carinate, red-brown or pale green with a dark-green border. flowers erect, imbricate, 7–8 cm long; pedicel very short and stout; sepals elliptic, obtuse, 27–32 mm long, nearly even, drying rugose, dark-punctate, green; petals linear, greenish-white, each bearing 2 spatulate incised scales at the base, stamens included. pistil exceeding the stamens; ovules very minutely caudiculate; coma white.Edited from : Smith & Downs 1977. (protologue) Tillandsioideae (Bromeliaceae). in Flora Neotropica.