Plant: perennial scapose herb; Rosettes caespitose, ca. 1 m high, 1 m broad Leaves: numerous, 50-63(-74) cm long, 7.5-9 cm wide, broadest near or above middle, lanceolate to oblanceolate, acuminate, erect-ascending, becoming inwardly arcuate at apex, deeply concave above, thick and convex toward base, easily cut, bluish-gray glaucous with purple-maroon tinge and green cross-banding, the margins straight to repand; teeth somewhat variable, dark brown to gray, the larger ones 3.5-5 mm long, usually reflexed, firmly attached, 1.5-11(-40) mm apart; interstitial teeth (3-)6-12 on upper - of leaf margin; terminal spine 2.8-3.5(-4.9) cm long, slender, openly grooved above, brownish-gray, decurrent for 9-14 cm to upper teeth Inflorescence: with scape 4.5-6 m tall, broadly paniculate, open, of 12-17 widely spaced, long horizontal branchlets in upper 3/5-5/8 of flowering stalk, the stalk thick, purple-maroon Flowers: in clusters of 14-20, 47-67(-70) mm long, durable, with a strong musky but sweetish fragrance at anthesis; tepals persistently erect, clasping the filaments, becoming leathery or wood-like with age, unequal, light cream-green, the outer ones ovate-lanceolate, 14-18 mm long, 6-7 mm wide, with maroon-rust rugose hooded tips, the inner ones broadly lanceolate, 9-15 mm high, 5-7 mm wide, strongly keeled, the tips slightly hooded; filaments 30-53 mm long, inserted equally 6-8 mm above base of tube, maroon, the anthers 11-20 mm long, bright yellow; ovary slightly angled longitudinally, 21-29 mm long, thick, stout, with slightly constricted neck 1-3.5 mm long, cream-green, the style 35-49 mm long when stigma is receptive, cream flecked with maroon; floral tube 11-16 mm long, 11-16 mm broad, bulging at base of tepals, light cream-green Fruit: capsules Misc: -Usually in vicinity of major drainage systems on open hilly slopes in desert scrub, rarely in chaparral or juniper-grassland; 700-1550 m (2350-5100 ft); Jun-Jul REFERENCES: Hodgson, Wendy. 1999. Agavaceae. Ariz. – Nev. Acad. Sci. 32(1).