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.

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.

PLANT: Rosettes (35-)40-60 cm high, 60-75 cm broad. LEAVES: (18-)25-50 cm long, (4.5‑)8-12 cm wide, linear-ovate. FLOWERS: 60-77 mm long; tepals (17-)19-24 mm long; filaments 40-54 mm long, inserted 6-11 mm above base of tube; ovary (27-)30-47 mm long, the style 60-70 mm long when stigma is receptive; floral tube 9-12 mm high, 14-18 mm wide. NOTES: Open slopes of grassland, chaparral, and pine-oak woodland: Cochise, Coconino, Gila, Graham, Greenlee, Maricopa, Navajo, Santa Cruz cos.; 1200-2800 m (4000-9200 ft); Jun-Jul; NM; Chih., Dur., Guan., Mex. Hybridizes with A. chrysantha in Gila Co. and A. schottii var. schottii in Pima and Cochise cos. REFERENCES: Hodgson, Wendy. 1999. Agavaceae. Ariz. - Nev. Acad. Sci. 32(1).