plant rupicolous, spreading by short stolons, with ca 3 cm, bracts circular to elliptic; robust underground stem, ca 1 x 1,3 cm, hidden by the imbricate leaflike sheaths. leaves numerous, spreading to recurved, rarely suberect, 1,5–5,5 cm long; sheath whitish, sometimes with abaxial face reddish, long, ovate, 0,5–1 x 0,4–1 cm, edges spinulose at the apex; blade coriaceous, slightly canaliculate, green, partially to completely red at anthesis, triangular-lanceolate to linear-lanceolate, 10–50 x 1,5–2mm, apex mucronulate, glabrescent on both faces, abaxial face nerved and with glandular trichomes, edges spinulose, spines antrorse, 0,3–0,4 mm long. inflorescence sessile, many flowered, ca 20-flowers, ca 0,4–1 cm wide, with involute red foliaceous bracts, becoming green at fruiting, a little branched in the outer part, with fascicles carrying 2 flowers or reduced to 1 flower, profile present; primary bracts foliaceous, red, ovate lanceolate, 1,5–1,8 x 0,4–0,5 cm, with glandular trichomes, edges denticulate, apex acuminate, not branched inside, sometimes with 2 sterile bracts in the centre of the inflorescence; floral bracts similar to the primary bracts, ovate-lanceolate, ca 1–1,2 x 0,4–0,7 cm, with glandular trichomes, edges denticulate, apex mucronulate, recurved; hypanthium tube inconspicuous. flowers: calyx with greenish sepals, a little connate at the base, asymmetric, ca 8mm, carinate, with glandular trichomes, acuminate-attenuate; corolla white, petals linear spatulate, ca 1 cm long, with 2 lacerated petal appendages, ca 5 mm from the base. stamens included, ca 1 cm long, filament filiform, anther linear, ca 2,2 mm long; hypanthium tube inconspicuous. pistil: ovary trigonous, 4–5 x 3mm, stigma spiraled, placenta axial, ovules numerous. fruits with persistent sepals, trigonous, ca 4 mm long; seeds ca 15, yellow to chestnut, in irregular shapes, ca 2 mm long, grooved.Edited from : Sit. Série Cienc. Biol.. (protologue) .