plant terrestrial, 0.6–1 m high. leaves arranged in an erect narrow funnel shaped rosette; sheath indistinct, ca, 20 cm long and 17 cm wide; blade lingulate, tip long cuspidate (9 mm), margin minutely serrated, green or silver lepidote. inflorescence: peduncle erect with few bracts, much exceeding the leaves; fertile part compound, terminal; spikes 2–4, strobiliform, dense ± distichous, sessile, 6–9 cm x 3 cm; primary bracts long narrow triangular, acuminate, multinerved, appressed lepidote, equaling 1/3–1/2 of the spike; floral bracts equaling the sepals, oblong-ovate and acuminate spined, multinerved, appressed or puberulous-lepidote, margin often becoming serrate, enclosing the calyx. flowers: calyx with gynoecium 18 mm long; sepals asymmetric free, 12 mm x 6 mm, triangular-acuminate, clearly carinate, margin entire, often woolly-lepidote; petals base without appendage. fruits and flower colour unknown.Edited from : Till & Vitek 1985. (protologue) Tillandsia marconae - eine neue Art aus der peruanischen Küstenwüste .