; 0 thinly floccose; 1 stem very stout, leafy. leaves reaching 7 dm; in length, 15–18 mm; broad at the base, tapering thence regularly to a long attenuate summit, pale-green, thick, rigid, above shortly and sparsely pilose, underneath coarsely many-nerved, the margin beset with short, slender, pungent upcurved teeth about 10 mm; apart; upper leaves gradually becoming very narrow from broad clasping bases; bracts of the rachis very broadly ovate, acuminate, strongly many-nerved, the margin finely aculeate. inflorescence: rachis 4 dm; long, very stout, purple, bearing about 10 branches on each side, these about 5–8 cm; long, stout and about 8–12-flowered; bracts of the flowers 12–15 mm; long, broadly ovate, acute, thick and rigid, keeled and coarsely nerved. flowers: sepals 2 cm; long, very thick and rigid, keeled and strongly nerved, acuminate; withered remains of the corolla exceeding the calyx by 6 mm. fruits 10 mm; long, 8 mm; broad, splitting at length into 6 valves; seeds lanceolate, curved, obtuse at both ends, 5–7-nerved, winged at the ends and upon one side, and narrowly upon part of the other side;.Edited from : Bull. N. Y. Bot. Gard. 6: 488.. (1910)