Plants to 1.65 m high, including the inflorescence, stemless, forming groups with a few individuals. Leaves numerous, rosulate;
Blades recurved, long triangular, attenuate toward the apex, up to 60 mm wide, 50-100 cm long, canaliculate, green and glabrous on the adaxial surface, green lepidote on the abaxial surface, the margin and the base of the spines covered with white scales;
spines black, antrorse, up to 12 mm long.
Inflorescence erect, 1.50 m high, 11-15 mm wide, subcylindric, bi-tripinnate, with about 11 branches;
rhachis totally visible with few tiny scales becoming glabrous, green.
Scape bracts attenuate toward the apex, glabrous, 30 cm long, 1 mm wide, deciduous.
Primary bracts triangular, glabrous, dry, papery, the edges entire, 5 cm long, usually longer than the sterile base of the branches.
Branches suberect, 28-36 cm long, greenish, at least three times longer than the primary bracts.
Floral bracts entire, lanceolate, acute, glabrous, dry, papery, up to 20 mm long, 6-8 mm wide, always longer than the pedicels.
Flowers pendulous, up to 55 mm long.
Pedicels curved, thin, 68 mm long, puberulous.
Sepals up to 25 mm long, to 5 mm wide, clear green, the tip acute, purple.
Petals up to 40 mm long, up to 10 mm wide, narrow up to 1/3 from the base, starting from 2/3 from the base, widening abruptly toward the apex, retuse, white-greenish at the base, wine coloured toward the apex, without ligule.
Stamens enclosed, up to 33 mm long; dark blackberry coloured anthers; pollen yellow-ochre.
Gynaecium enclosed, up to 40 mm long including the style and stigma, the stigma dark blackberry coloured.
Ovary up to 10 mm long, up to 6 mm wide, about 1/3 inferior.
Fruit capsules, 15 mm long, 10 mm wide, most being embedded in back of the branch.
Winged seeds 2 mm long, triangular, winged on the sides.

ETYMOLOGY: this species is dedicated to its discoverer, the Bolivian botanist Roberto Vásquez Chavez who also recognized it as a new species for science and provided the drawing.

HABITAT AND ECOLOGY: Puya vasquezii sp. nov. was found in the eastern slopes of the cordillera Oriental mountain range de los Andes before disappearing in the plain that surrounds the city of Santa Cruz de la Sierra (basin of the River Pirai). It is possibly the only Bolivian Puya that grows at the lowest altitude. It grows on hillsides and banks beside the semi deciduous forest - Boliviano-tucumano. It is sympatric with P. sanctae-crucis and Deuterocohnia longipetala, with which it can be mistaken at first sight because of the similarity of their leaves. Other bromeliads from the area are two species of Fosterella not yet identified.
OBSERVATIONS: Goad vasquezii sp. nov. it is similar to Goad spathacea, but it differs for the leaves but wide, you prick with thorns but you release, the pedicelos but short and for the sepals, petals and ovary but long, besides the geographical distance that separates them. Goad spathacea is known exclusively First of River, Cordoba, Argentina (Smith & Downs 1974).