Rosettes globose, 3.5–7.5 × 4–8.5 dm. Leaves ascending to erect, (18–)25–65 × (4.5–)6.5–20 cm; blade linear to lanceolate to broadly ovate; margins straight or undulate, teeth 3–7(–8) mm, 1–2 cm apart; apical spine dark brown to gray, acicular, 1.5–3 cm. Scape 4–6 m. Inflorescences: lateral branches 20–36, horizontal to slightly ascending. Flowers 4.3–8.1 cm; perianth pink to red in bud, yellow at anthesis, tube 6–12 mm, limb lobes erect, 13–27 × 4–6 (–7) mm; filaments inserted near rim of perianth tube, 3.3–5.8 cm; ovary neck 6–9 mm. Capsules ovoid or oblong to obovoid, 3.5–5 cm.

Varieties 4 (3 in the flora): sw United States, nw Mexico.

The following variants are weakly differentiated but appear to have some geographic distinction. B. UllrichUllrich, B. (1992) reduced all to synonymy under Agave parryi subsp. parryi.