plant epiphyte, approximately 40–60 cm tall, acaulis. leaves form a wide rosette, 75–137 cm long; sheath conspicuous, elliptic, 11–12 x 5.7–8.5 cm, coriaceous, whitish, lepidote indument on both surfaces; blade linguiform, 64–125 cm long, 4.6–6.5 cm in width towards the middle, coriaceous, canaliculate, not narrowing to the base, both surfaces green, concolorous although slightly clearer towards the channel with lepidote indument only in the abaxial surface, straight, serrated, margin toothed, distributed evenly, green, 0.5–2 mm, the tip blunt, thorny. inflorescence: peduncle hidden by the peduncle bracts, 26–29 cm long, 6–9 mm in diameter, whitish, glabrous, internodes 18–20 mm long toward the middle, 2–8 mm long towards the top; peduncle bracts longer than the internodes, the middle ones 8.5–10 x 2.8 - 3 cm, the upper ones 8–9 x 2.4–2.5 cm, persistent, erect, flat, lanceolate to elliptic, leathery, green, lepidote indument on both surfaces, edges serrated, the tip acute to acuminate, spiny; fertile part erect or slightly inclined, 7.5–15 cm long, 6.5–7.5 cm diameter, simple, capitate-strobiliform, with more than 50 sessile polystichous flowers; inflorescence* axis straight, completely covered by the floral bracts, not excavated, 6–12 cm long, 5 mm in diameter, terete; floral bracts conspicuous, decreasing in size gradually towards the top of the inflorescence, imbricate, erect to adpressed in relation to the axis of the inflorescence, persistent, 35–65 x 18–32 mm, the basal ones ovate-lanceolate, upper ones ovate, symmetric, leathery, green, concolorous, lepidote indument on both surfaces, ecarinate, edges serrated and the tip acute-acuminate, straight, spiny. flowers: sepals included, lanceolate, 25–30 x 5–10 mm, free, slightly asymmetric, coriaceous, concolorous, glabrous, carinate, 7–18 veins, edges straight, entire, membranous, translucent, tip acute, mucronulate; petals apparently equalling the floral bract, linguiform, 50–52 x 4–5 mm, free, apparently erect, membranous, white, symmetric, concolorous, glabrous; epipetalous ligules not seen; androecium included, the stamens of the internal circle completely adnate to the petals. stamens: filament flat, 22–23 mm long; anther 6–7 mm long, dorsifixed and introrse; gynoecium with subglobose ovary, 8–9 mm long, 5–6 mm diameter, white, glabrous, with membranous wings that continue with the carina of the sepal; epigynous tube 2 mm long. pistil: style 32 mm long; stigma conduplicate-spiral, 2–3 mm long. fruits is not seen.Translated by Butcher from: Aguirre-Santoro & Betancur 2011. (protologue) Cinco especies nuevas de Aechmea (Bromeliaceae: Bromelioideae) para Colombia .