Desc from S&D
Plant stemless or short-caulescent, flowering 33-60 cm high.
Leaves numerous, bulbous-rosulate;
sheaths broadly ovate, 4 cm long, dark-castaneous, glabrous;
blades deciduous along a straight transverse line, linear, attenuate, 3-7 dm long, 17 mm wide, glabrous above, sparsely pale-floccose beneath, entire.
Scape erect, 3.5 mm in diameter, floccose;
scape-bracts large, ovate with long subfiliform blades, exceeding the internodes, floccose, green.
Inflorescence simple, laxly spicate, subdistichously flowered, to 23 cm long, densely white-floccose; rhachis flexuous.
Floral bracts ovate, acute or acuminate, chartaceous, prominently nerved, the lower equaling or exceeding the sepals, the rest much shorter;
flowers suberect, subsessile.
Sepals lanceolate, acute to acuminate, 25-28 mm long, the posterior ones carinate;
petals linear, 6 cm long, naked, red;
stamens included; style exserted;
ovary 2/3 to almost wholly superior; ovules caudate.
TYPE. Calderon 2595 (holotype, GH), Volcan de Izalco, Sonsonate, Salvador, 1931.
DISTRIBUTION. Terrestrial and saxicolous, thickets, woods and cliffs, 1400-1800 m alt, southern Mexico to Honduras.
MEXICO. Chiapas: Monserrate, May 1925, Purpus 10295 (NY); Zinacantan: Paraje Sequentik, 15 Jun 1966, Laughlin 1065 (US); Paraje Sek'emtik, 12 Jul 1966, Laughlin 1248 (US). GUATEMALA. IZABAL: Quirigua, 18 Jul 1938, Johnston 1266 (F). ZACAPA: Volcan de Monos, Standley 42355 (F, GH); 42356 (F, GH). CHIQUIMULA: Mount Socorro, Concepcion de las Minas, 31 Oct 1939, Steyermark 30923 (F). JUTIAPA: Volcan Suchitan, northwest of Asuncidn Mita, 18 Nov 1939, Steyermark 31904 (F). HONDURAS. MORAZAN: Mount Uyuca, 2 Aug 1946, Williams & Molina 10210 (GH). TEGUCIGALPA: Zamorano to Tegucigalpa, Lankester 1709 (US); 12 Jul 1964, Gilmartin 957 (US); 958 (US). PARAISO: Barranca de Galeras, Gilmartin 952 (US).

Pitcairnia purpusii L. B. Smith, Contr. Gray Herb. 117: 27, pl. 2, figs. 20, 21. 1937. acaulis, florifera 55 cm. alta; foliis multis, bulbose rosulatis; vaginis late ovatis, 4 cm. longis, atrocastaneis, glabris; laminis linea recta transversa deciduis, linearibus, acuminatis, 5-7 dm. longis, 17 mm. latis, supra glabris, subtus dissite pallideque floccoso-lepidotis, integris; scapo erecto, 3.5 mm. diametro, floccoso; scapi bracteis magnis, ovatis, longe subfiliformi-caudatis, internodia superantibus, floccosis, viridibus; inflorescentia simplicissima, laxe spicata, subdistiche florigera, 23 cm. longa, dense albido-floccosa; rhachi flexuosa; bracteis florigeris ovatis, acutis vel acuminatis, chartaeeis, prominenter nervatis, infimis sepala aequantibus vel superantibus, alteris multo brevioribus; floribus suberectis, subsessilibus; sepalis lanceolatis, acutis, 25 mm. longis, posticis carinatis; petalis linearibus, 6 cm. longis, intus nudis, rubris; staminibus inclusis; stylo exserto; ovario fere omnino supero; ovulis caudatis. Pl. II, figs. 20-21.
MEXICO: Chiapas: on shaded rocks, creek east of Monserrate, Purpus 295
(US, Type; phot. G).
This species differs from P. calderonii, its nearest relative, in its lanceolate acute sepals and wholly lax subdistichous inflorescence.