plant lithophytic, pendent in clusters, flowering over 2 m long. leaves persistent (?), dimorphic, some reduced to bladeless spinose-serrate spines; sheath of the reduced leaves broadly ovate, 4.5 cm wide, 4 cm long, dark castaneous and lustrous apically, covered below with a membrane of coalesced scales, sheaths of the larger leaves narrower; paler; blade of the larger leaves linear, acuminate, over 1 m long, 2–3 cm wide, serrate and narrowed toward the base, glabrous above, covered below with a membrane of coalesced scales. inflorescence: peduncle over 1 m long, rather stout, densely lanate; peduncle bracts subfoliaceous, attenuate; fertile part simple, ca 1 m long, densely secund-flowered, lanate except for the petals (?); floral bracts narrowly triangular, acute, the lower exceeding the sepals, the upper shorter than the pedicels. flowers pendent; pedicel 1–1.5 cm long, slender; sepals triangular, acute, 2.3 cm long, carinate toward the base, orange; petals incompletely known, bearing a 2.5 mm suborbicular scale at the base. pistil: ovary slightly more than 1/2 inferior; ovules caudate.Edited from : Luther 1981b. (protologue) Pitcairnia Manabiana, A New Species from Western Ecuador .