Plant flowering to 30 cm high. Leaves 15-30 in a dense rosette; sheaths more or less brown at the base, sometimes with fine violet longitudinal lines on the outside; blades ligulate, 30-45 cm long, 4 cm wide, obscurely scaled. Scape erect and shorter than leaves, covered by leaf-like bracts, the upper ones usually red tinged forming an involucre that overtops the flowers. Inflorescence simple, corymb-like, to 7 cm wide, 10-50 flowered; sepals free, hairless; petals linear, hooded, white.

Central America, West Indies to Bolivia and Brazil

Source: Christensen, T.; Butcher, D. (2005). Bromeliaceae. In: Spencer, R.. Horticultural Flora of South-eastern Australia. Volume 5. Flowering plants. Monocotyledons. The identification of garden and cultivated plants. University of New South Wales Press.