plant flowering 1.2 m high. leaves over 6 dm long; sheath ample, dark brown; blade ligulate, acute, apiculate, 10 cm wide, marked with dark irregular cross-bands green above, paler beneath. inflorescence: peduncle erect, stout; peduncle bracts erect, imbricate, the lower to 7 cm long, acuminate to a l cm long mucro; infloresence amply paniculate froin 8–9 branches; primary bracts like the upper peduncle-bracts, much shorter than the sterile many-bracteate bases of the branches; branches spreading, slightly sigrnoid, to 25 cm long, the upper half densely flowering; floral bracts distichous, imbricate, not becoming secund, 3 cm long, subinflated, ecarinate, emucronate, subcoriaceous, green becoming fuscescent toward apex. flowers downwardly secund; sepals elliptic, obtuse, 20 mm long, about equaling the bracts before anthesis; petals 37–38 mm long, bearing 2 scales at base. stamens included, anthers 6–7 mm long.Edited from : Smith & Downs 1977. Tillandsioideae (Bromeliaceae). in Flora Neotropica.