Terrestrial or epiphytic; stem ca. 6–8 cm long, 0.8–2 cm diam.; leaf scars obscured by cataphyll fibers, 5–6 mm high, 1–1.3 cm wide; roots moderately numerous, generally descending, pale grayish white, drying tan, smooth, short to elongate, blunt at apex, to 14 cm long, 1–4 mm diam.; cataphylls subcoriaceous, narrowly lanceolate, unribbed, 5–9 cm long, acuminate at apex, green, drying tan to dark brown, persisting as a reticulum of fibers. Leaves spreading; petioles 7–17(30.5) cm long (mostly less than 16 cm long), 4–5 mm diam., terete to D-shaped, rounded to bluntly and narrowly sulcate (rarely broadly and sharply sulcate) adaxially, rounded abaxially, the surface somewhat pale-speckled; geniculum slightly paler and thicker than petiole, 0.7–2 cm long; blades subcoriaceous to coriaceous, oblong to oblong-elliptic, sometimes somewhat lanceolate or oblanceolate, long-acuminate (rarely acute) at apex, narrowly acute at base, 30–57 cm long, 2.7–6 cm wide, broadest at or slightly above the middle, the margins flat; upper surface glossy to semiglossy, dark green above, matte when dried, lower surface glossy, paler below, semiglossy when dried; both surfaces greenish to yellowish on drying; midrib acutely raised above, prominently and sharply acute below, slightly paler than surface; primary lateral veins 13–16 per side, departing midrib at 50–60 degree angle, more or less straight-ascending to the collective vein, flat above, obscure and very weakly raised below; interprimary veins numerous, obscure above and below, drying raised and almost as conspicuous as primary lateral veins; tertiary veins visible when dried; collective vein arising from or near the base, weakly sunken above, raised below, raised above and below when dried, 3–8 mm from margin. Inflorescences erect to spreading; peduncle 17.5–39 cm long, drying 1–4 mm diam., 1.9–5.5 times as long as petiole, green (brown when dried); spathe reflexed, subcoriaceous, pale green tinged with purple at margins, oblong-lanceolate to lanceolate, 3–6.5 cm long, 0.6–1 cmwide, broadest near the base, inserted at 45 degree angle on peduncle, acuminate at apex, acute at base, the margins meeting at 60–80 degree angle; stipe 2–6 mm long; spadix maroon to orange-brown to brownish purple to brown (B & K yellow 4/5), cylindroid, shortly stipitate, straight or sometimes curved, 2.3–6.3 cm long, 3–5 mm diam.; flowers more or less rhombic, 2–2.4 mm long, 1.5–2 mm wide, the sides straight to smoothly sigmoid on drying; 4–6 flowers visible in principal spiral, 7–9 in alternate spiral; tepals purple-red, papillate, matte; lateral tepals 0.8–1.5 mm wide, the inner margins convex, the outer margins 2-sided; pistils scarcely emergent at anthesis, raised, purple-red to dark purple; stigma slit-like, 0.5–0.6 mm long, forming droplets before stamens emerge; stamens emerging in a regular sequence, held well above tepals, the laterals followed by alternates in rapid succession, the laterals preceding the alternates by 3–4 spirals, arranged in a circle around the pistil; filaments translucent, exserted 0.7–0.8 mm, 0.2 mm wide; anthers orange to pink (B & K red 8/10), 0.2–0.3 mm long, 0.4 mm wide; thecae ovoid, 0.6–0.4 mm wide, slightly divaricate; pollen white. Infructescence with spathe persisting; spadix 3.5–10.5 cm long, 1–1.7 cm diam., with the berries scattered throughout; berries orange-red, more or less ellipsoid to ovoid, acute at apex, (dried) 6–7 mm long, 3.2–3.4 mm diam.

Type: Ecuador. Carchi: vic. Maldonado, 1500–1900 m, Madison 3998 (SEL﷓027098, holotype; MO﷓2925092, isotype).

Specimens, Collectors, and Herbaria: Carchi: Río San Juan: Chical, 12 km below Maldonado, 1200 m, 1°4'N, 78°17'W, Madison et al. 4766 (K), 4762 (K), 4672 (K, SEL), 4812 (SEL). Chical, 1200–1250 m, 0°56'N, 78°11'W, 8 Aug 1983, Thompson & Rawlins 995 (CM); Gualpi Chico area near Awa Ethnic encampment, 1300 m, 0°58'N, 78°16'W, 18 Jan 1988, Hoover et al 2752, 3212 (MO); Quebrada Penas Blancas﷓Quebrada Quinchul, 0°58'N, 78°12'W, Thompson & Rawlins 1031 (CM); Maldonado, 1500–1900 m, Madison 3998 (MO, SEL), 4264 (SEL). Río Chilma: Machinas﷓Planada de Chilma, 2350–2450 m, 0°52'N, 78°3'W, 30 May 1985, Stein 2913 (MO); Río Verde: Rafael Quindis mountain finca, 1890 m, 0°52'N, 78°08'W,29 Nov 1987, Hoover 1986 (MO); 1870–2400 m, 0°52'N, 78°07'W, 3 Dec 1987, Hoover 2265 (MO); 2450 m, 0°51'N, 78°07'W, 21 Aug 1994, Palacios 12607 (CM, F, MO, NY, QCNE); 1500 m, 0°48'N, 78°09'W, 17 Aug 1994, Palacios 12405 (MO, QCNE); 1800 m, 1°02'N, 78°14'W, 15 – 28 Jun 1991, Rubio et al.1599 (MO); 2000–2200 m, 0°17'N, 78°13W, 10 Feb 1992, Palacios et al. 9822 (MO, NY, TEX); 9742 (CAS, MO); Río Verde, 1890 m, 0°52'N, 78°08'W, 28 Nov 1987, Hoover & Wormley 1875 (MO, QCA); 2300 m, 0°51'N, 78°02'W, 19 May 1991, Palacios & Rubio 7156 (MO). Manabi:Machalilla National Park, 600–700 m, 1°36'S, 80°42'W, 21 Jan 1991, Gentry et al. 72501 (MO). Morona-Santiago: 600 m, 2°43'S, 78°13'W, 26 Sep 1994, Croat 77235 (MO, SEL). Pichincha: 1800 m, 0°16'N, 78°43'W, 3 May 1982, Øllgaard et al.37900 (AAU).