Epiphytic or terrestrial. Stem climbing, to 50 cm long, 1–3 cm diam. Roots moderately few, descending, drying 2 mm diam. Cataphylls subcoriaceous, lanceolate, 14–24 cm long, acute at apex, drying whitish, straw-colored, persisting as a reticulum of fibers. Leaves mostly spreading; petioles 11–40(60) cm long, 5–11 mm diam., D-shaped, flattened or convex with an acute medial rib adaxially, the margins sharply raised, rounded abaxially; geniculum moderately thicker than petiole, 1–2 cm long. Sheath 2–7 cm long. Blades coriaceous, oblong-linear to broadly oblong, narrowly acute at apex, obtuse to shortly attenuate or narrowly acute at base, 47–120 cm long, 5–20 cm wide, broadest at or near the middle, the margins moderately to conspicuously undulate; upper surface weakly glossy to semiglossy, slightly quilted, dark green, lower surface semiglossy to glossy, slightly to moderately paler; both surfaces drying green to yellow-brown. Midrib convexly raised, or sometimes acutely raised toward the apex above, paler than surface, acutely raised below; primary lateral veins 17–33 per side, departing midrib at 60–90 degree angle, slightly arcuate to the collective vein, convexly raised above, flat and darker than surface below, drying raised on both surfaces; interprimary veins almost as conspicuous as primary lateral veins; tertiary veins moderately obscure above, darker than surface below, raised above and below when dried; reticulate veins obscure; collective vein arising from the base, equally as prominent as interprimary veins, (1)2–7 mm from margin. Inflorescences erect-spreading; peduncle 8–40(62) cm long, 2–8 mm diam., 0.6–2.3 times as long as petioles, terete. Spathe reflexed, subcoriaceous, green, ovate to broadly oblong, ca. 6.5–12 cm long, 1.5–3 cm wide, broadest in the lower half, the acumen inrolled, 4–8 mm long, acute to narrowly acute at base. Spadix dark red, cylindroid to slightly tapered, sessile or stipitate to 5 mm, erect, straight or slightly curved, 5.5–12 cm long, 5–10 mm diam. Flowers (dried) rhombic, 1.6–1.7 mm long, 1.2–1.5 mm wide, the sides jaggedly sigmoid to straight; 8–11 flowers visible in principal spiral, 5–8 in alternate spiral; tepals semiglossy, minutely papillate, lateral tepals 0.7–0.8 mm wide, the inner margins erose, the outer margins 2–3 sided; pistils yellow-brown on drying, smooth, lacking raphide cells, rounded at apex, not at all protruding above the tepals; stigma linear, ca. 0.3 mm long; stamens emerging from near the middle, inclined over and obscuring pistil at anthesis, held against the pistil post anthesis; anthers 0.4–0.6 mm long, 0.4–0.5 mm wide; thecae obovoid-oblong, weakly divaricate. Infructescence erect to pendent; spathe persisting, green. Spadix about (7.5)12–16 cm long, 1.5–2 cm diam. Berries red, obovoid, 7–8 mm long, 5 mm diam.; seeds 1–2 per berry, broadly oblong to rounded, flattened on one side, 4.4–5 mm long, 3–3.5 mm diam., 1.5–2 mm thick, with a transparent, gelatinous appendage at base and dark gelatinous appendage at apex.

Type: Ecuador: Tungurahua, Río Pastaza, Sodiro s.n. (B, holotype; G isotype).

Tungurahua: Río Pastaza (Río Chambo): Sodiro s.n., 8/1904 (G); Sodiro s.n., 12/1906(B). Napo: Hollín﷓Loreto, km 32, 8 km W of Guamani, 1200 m, 0°43'S, 77°38'W, Neill et al. 8624 (MO); 1300 m, 0°44'S, 77°47'W, 24 Nov 1992, Palacios 10502 (MO); Croat 78288 (MO); Coca to Tena-Baeza road, via Hollín and Loreto, 1 km E of main Tena-Baeza Road, 1400 m., Croat 74103 (CM, MO, QCA, SEL). Pastaza: cultivated: S of Puyo, road to Macas, Croat 50586 (MO, QCA); Río Negro, Baños, Croat 50587 (MO, QCA). Puyo﷓Diez de Agosto and Arajuno, 8.2 km NE of Diez de Agosto, 970 m, 01°27'S, 77°51'W, Croat 59017 (AAU, B, BM, CM, GH, K, M, MO, QCA, RSA, US); Puyo﷓Baños, 5.7 km W of Shell, 1070 m, 01°26'S, 78°09'W, Croat 59073 (MO, QCA); 2 km NE of Mera, Hacienda San Antonio de Baron von Humboldt, 1100 m, 01°27'S, 78°06'W, Palacios et al. 58 (MO); Mera, Lugo 25 (S). Río Pastaza, Mera, Lugo 1117 (GB); El Topo, 1250 m, 01°25'S, 78°10'W, Harling 3403 (S). Morona﷓Santiago: Valle de Calagras: 11 km E of San Juan Bosco, Descanso, 1600 m, 03°02'S, 78°21'W, Dodson et al. 10495a (SEL).