plant bigger than the type, flowering up to 1.2 m; rosette up to 80 cm high and ca 1 m in diameter. inflorescence: peduncle erect, glabrous, pale red, red-violet striped; peduncle bracts densely imbricate, the basal ones subfoliate with red violet sheaths; upper peduncle bracts carmine red; fertile part once-branched, sometimes twice-branched, up to 35 cm long and 20 cm wide, with ca12 nearly horizontally spreading branches; the rachis and the primary bracts are bright carmine red; the somewhat fleshy sepals, which are high connate and the petals are pure white. stamens and style are included; after anthesis the red color disappears so that the whole inflorescence except for the rachis is pure white; this does not happen only in one specimen, but in all collected plants which we are cultivating; therefore, we have to distinguish the following two varieties because of the color of the inflorescence and the flowers.Edited from : Rauh 1986e. (protologue) Observations on Guzmania scherzeriana .