plant epiphytic, up to 45 cm tall when flowering. leaves to about 90 cm long, much exceeding inflorescence; blade ligulate, 65–80 x 3.2.- 4 cm; linear, densely serrate with short spines up to 1 mm long, densely sericeous on both surfaces, especially below, green, inner leaves turning bright red throughout; sheath up to 12 x.6 cm, margin similar to lamina. inflorescence: peduncle erect, pink, to 18 cm long, densely lepidote; peduncle bracts leaflike, linear, imbricate; the upper becoming subreflexed, bright red; fertile part c; 10 x 5 cm, shortly branched throughout; lower primary bracts 6.5 x 4 cm including 2 cm long stout-spinose apex, broadly ovate, bright pink, densely lanate without, glabrous within except at apex, serrate; upper primary bracts 3–3.7 x 2–2.5; cm, obovate-lanceolate, apex acute, densely lanate without, glabrous within, bright pink, serrate, enclosing 1 or 2 flowers; floral bracts 13–15 x c; 6.5 mm, lanceolate, apex weakly spinescent, purplish-lilac, lanate without, glabrous within, serrulate. flowers subsessile; sepals 2.0–2.4 x 0.8 cm, strongly asymmetric, broadly winged, acute, lilac, wings paler, lanate, apex weakly spinescent; petals 3.0–3.5 x 0.8 cm, obovate, obtuse to rounded, margin inrolled, white but brilliant lilac-purple towards apex, with scale c; 5 mm long at base, filaments 2.2–2.5 x 0.2 cm wide, flattened, white. stamens: anther 6–8 mm long, pale cream, ovary inferior, 1.3- 1.4 cm long, white-lanate.Edited from : Kew Bull.. (protologue) .