Plant flowering to 20 cm high. Leaves all alike, narrowed at base, to 35 cm long, to 3 cm wide, entire, green above. Scape short, green, with leaf-like bracts. Inflorescence laxly racemose, few-flowered, slightly woolly; floral bracts as long as lower flower stalks. Flowers erect on 10 mm long flower stalks; sepals 23 mm long, green; petals irregular, 65 mm long, bright orange with yellow toward tip, equalling the stamens. Ovary almost fully superior.
Colombia
P. atrorubens (Beer) Baker from Brazil is 60-90 cm high. Leaf sheaths brown scaled; stalks to 20 cm long, spined and scaled. Blades lanceolate, 50 cm long, 5.5-6.0 cm wide, entire, hairless. Scape erect, bracts long acuminate. Inflorescence sub-spicate, 20-30 cm long, 3-5 cm wide; floral bracts 5-7 cm long, entire, deep reddish-purple to bright red or rarely yellowish. Flowers almost stalkless; sepals 25 mm long; petals to 77 mm long, pale yellow; stamens included. Ovary mostly superior.
P. xanthocalyx Martius from Mexico is to 13 cm high. Leaves all alike, 1 m long or more, scarcely stalked; sheaths small, brown; blades linear, 2-3 cm wide entire. Scape erect to 7 mm wide. Inflorescence simple, laxly many-ranked, 30-60 cm long; floral bracts linear, lower ones exceeding the flower stalks. Flowers spreading, flower stalks 15-20 mm long; sepals 15-20 mm long, orange; petals 45-50 mm long, pale yellow. Ovary half-superior.
Source: (2005). Bromeliaceae. In: . Horticultural Flora of South-eastern Australia. Volume 5. Flowering plants. Monocotyledons. The identification of garden and cultivated plants. University of New South Wales Press.