Catopsis compacta Mez

Catopsis compacta Mez, Bull. Herb. Boiss. II. 3: 140. 1903
Plant 35-60 cm. high; leaves many in a subutriculate rosette, strict, 2-3 dm. long, very obscurely brown-punctulate, bearing a fine cretaceous coat especially toward the base; sheaths elliptic-oblong, usually longer than the blades and merging imperceptibly with them, 6 cm. wide; blades triangular, acuminate, more or less revolute toward the apex; scape erect, its bracts foliaceous, erect, densely imbricate; inflorescence subdensely 3-pinnate, ellipsoid, 15-23 cm. long, glabrous; primary bracts broadly ovate, long-acuminate, shorter than the axillary branches or rarely the lowest longer; lower branches bearing 3 or 4 subfasciculate spikes, divergent; spikes short-stipitate, cylindric, densely flowered, 3-5 cm. long; floral bracts broadly ovate, obtuse, slightly shorter than the sepals, thin; flowers perfect, suberect; sepals strongly asymmetric, 5 mm. long; petals barely exserted, white; stamens unequal; style very short.
Type uocality: Macaltepec, Oaxaca. Distribution: Oaxaca.

Catopsis compacta is a species in the genus Catopsis. This species is endemic to Mexico.