Plants acaulescent, freely suckering; rosettes densely cespitose, (0.3–)1–5 × 1.5–6 dm. Leaves ascending to erect, (3–)9–46 × 0.5–2 cm; blade light green to yellowish green or dark green with white bud-prints on both surfaces, linear to linear-lanceolate, firm, adaxially plane toward apex, abaxially convex toward base; margins straight, infrequently denticulate, filiferous, fibers conspicuous, white, curled, infrequently sparse or absent, teeth sparse or absent, in proximal 1/2 of blade or near base; apex acute to long-acuminate, spine brown to grayish, subulate to filiform, 0.6–2 cm. Scape 1.5–3 m. Inflorescences spicate, laxly to rather densely flowered on distal 1/3; bracts caducous, linear-triangular, 1–3.5 cm; peduncle 5 mm or shorter. Flowers 1 or 2, slightly recurved, 1.6–2.8 cm; perianth greenish white, tube campanulate, 3–4.5 × 6–10 mm, limb lobes erect to incurved, subequal, 6.5–10 mm; stamens slightly exserted; filaments inserted 1–3.5 mm above base of perianth tube, erect, white, 1.1–1.7 cm; anthers pale yellow, 7–16 mm; ovary 0.8–1.6 cm, neck slightly constricted, 3–7 mm. Capsules sessile, oblong, 0.9–1.5 cm, apex short-beaked. Seeds 2.5–3 mm.

Varieties 2 (2 in the flora): Arizona.

Both varieties hybridize with Agave chrysantha.