leaves 60- 90 cm long, up to 6.5 cm wide; blade ligulate, widely channelled, laxly spinose with spines at maturity up to 1.2 cm long, antrorse, with main body of spine parallel to margin, sparsely verrucose above, dark green, glossy, scales not coalesced, denser beneath. inflorescence to 11 x 2 cm, narrowly conical; peduncle bracts bright pink; inflorescence* bracts pale green, pink-tipped. flowers: sepals pale yellow; petals strong dark yellow, turning black after anthesis.Edited from : Kew Bull.. (protologue) .