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Plants massive multiannuals, scapose; trunks usually absent, to 6 m when present. Stems aboveground. Leaves up to 50, broad or narrowly lanceolate, to 3.3 m, rigid or flexible, very fibrous, margins with small or large corneous teeth, mature apex a firm, blunt point. Inflorescences paniculate, to 13 m, frequently producing bulblets. Flowers in clusters of 2–5, drooping; tepals spreading, distinct except at base, greenish or white, ovate to oblong, longer than stamens and styles; filaments abruptly expanded below middle; ovary inferior; style dilated and 3-lobed proximal to middle; stigma 3-lobed. Fruits capsular, globose to cylindrical, to 8 cm, infrequently produced. Seeds many, black, flat, 2 rows per locule. x = 30.
Plants arborescent or shrubby, stem sometimes very short. Leaves tufted or in rosettes, long-lived, succulent, weakly spine-tipped; margin spinose-dentate. Inflorescence scapose, terminal, paniculate. Flowers bisexual, 1-3 axillary in bracts or replaced by bulbils, pendent, campanulate. Sepals and petals elongate-ovoid, spreading, united basally, inner surface white, outer surface greenish. Stamens attached basally to perianth; filaments thickened below middle; anthers dorsifixed, linear-oblong. Ovary inferior, 3-locular; ovules numerous, in 2 rows per locule; style stout, thickened below; stigma small, 3-lobed. Fruit a capsule. Seeds flattened, black.
Plants massive, acaulescent or with short stout trunks; leaves closely crowded, ensiform, very heavily coriaceous, usually armed with recurved thorns upon the margin; inflorescence a panicle, usually massive and many-flowered, the flowers frequently replaced by bulbils; perianth rotate, 6-parted, the tube short and cylindrical, the lobes subequal, spreading, white or greenish; stamens 6, the fila-ments attached to the throat of the perianth tube; anthers versatile; pistil 3-celled, oblong, containing numerous ovules; style short and thick; stigma capitate; fruit an oblong, loculicidal capsule containing many flat seeds.
