Epiphyte; stems 2–20 cm long; internodes 6–20 mm diam.; cataphylls 4–6 cm long, drying reddish brown, promptly weathering to fibers; leaves semi-erect; petioles 10–35 cm long, 3–4 mm diam., subterete, C-shaped, sharply flattened adaxially, sheathed 1–2 cm at base, the geniculum 5–15 (20) mm long, drying darker than the petiole; blades oblong-elliptic, 25–45 cm long, 4–11 cm wide, narrowly acute at apex, acute or sometimes obtuse at base, subcoriaceous, semiglossy, dark green and eglandular above, semiglossy and moderately paler and dark glandular-punctate below; midrib weakly raised convex and concolorous above, convex below; primary lateral veins (15)20–23 per side, departing the midrib at about a 45 degree angle; the collective veins arising from the base of blade or from one of the primary lateral veins in the lower 1/4 of the blade, extending to the apex 3.5–5.5 mm from the margin; antimarginal vein weak, 0.5 mm from the margin. Inflorescence semi-erect; peduncle 5–25(32) cm long, subterete, usually about half as long as the petiole; spathe oblong-lanceolate, 2–7(10) cm long, 4–7(14) mm wide, dark green tinged with red or purple, inserted at an angle of 50 degrees, recurved, cuspidate at the apex, the margins meeting at an obtuse angle at the base; spadix gradually tapered, sessile or stipitate 1–2 mm, dark green at anthesis, 5–15 cm long, 5 mm diam.; flowers quadrangular in outline, 5 visible per spiral, 2–2.6 mm long (in direction of axis); the inner margins of the tepals 1–1.6 mm wide; stamens held at level of tepals; anthers yellow, pollen soon white; pistil to 1.2 mm long, slightly longer than the stamens, broadly botuliforme; stigma sub-bilabiate; infructescence to 23 cm long, pendent, purplish violet; berries ovoid, purplish in upper half, whitish toward the base, maturing pale gray-white, primarily in the center of the spadix, mesocarp white and pasty; seeds 2, somewhat discoidal, 3.2 mm long, 2.2 mm diam.

Type: Ecuador. Pichincha: Gualea, Sodiro s.n. (lectotype, SI; isolectotype B, G).

Esmeraldas: Bilsa Biological Station. Montañas de Mache, 35 km W of Quinindé, 5 km Santa Isabel.400-600 m, 0°21'N, 79°44'W, 16 May 1995, Clark & Watt 892 (QCNE, MO). Carchi: Faldas del Cerro Golondrinas Hembra, 2300-2400 m, 0°51'N, 78°7'W, 20 Aug 1994, Palacios 12765 (CM, MO, QCNE). Cotopaxi: Angamarca, Sodiro s.n. (Q). Cañar: Azogues--El Triunfo, ca. 5 km W of La Delicia, 8 km SE of El Truncal, 2°27'S, 79°15'W, 22 Oct 1980, Croat 50907 (MO). Pichincha: Nanegal, Sodiro s.n. (Jan. 1901) (P); Nanegal, Sodiro s.n. (July, 1903) (MO); Nanegal & Gualea, Sodiro s.n. (G); Gualea, Sodiro s.n. (B, SI); Parroquia Nanegal, Rio Tulambia, 1,300--1,400 m, 0°7'3"N, 78°38'W, 10 Jul 1992, Webster et al. 29307 (DAV); Reserva ENDESA, 9 km N of Km 113 on Quito- Puerto Quito Hwy, 750 m, 0°5'N, 79°2'W, 15 Jul 1986, Croat & Rodríguez 61484 (AAU, CM, COL, K, M, MO, Q, QCA, QCNE, QPLS, US, VEN), 61478 (MO), 61478A (CM, MO, QCA); 800 m, 22 Feb 1984, Rodríguez 217 (QCA, CR), 218 (MO); 20 Aug 1984, Rodríguez 338 (MO); 17 Feb 1984, Rodríguez 180A (MO); 28 Apr 1984, Rodríguez 290A (MO); 22 Feb 1984, Rodríguez 212, 221 (QCA); 710 m, 0°3'N, 79°7'W, 19 Mar 1992, Croat 73151 (B,CM,COL,K,MO,NY,QCA,QCNE), 73165 (MO, QCNE). Parroquia Nanegal, 1250-1300 m, 0°7.5'N, 78°37.5'W, 9 Sep 1993, Webster 30508 (DAV, QCNE); 1575 m, 0°5'N, 78°38.5'W, 7 Sep 1993, Webster et al. 30404 (DAV). Reserva Forestal ENDESA, 650-700 m, 0.05N 79.02W, 9 Jun 1984, Jaramillo 6641 (MO), 7 Jul 1984, 6704 (QCA), 800 m, 7 Mar 1983, Jaramillo et al. 5192 (QCA). Reserva Maquipucuna, 1500-1600 m, 0°7'N, 78°38'W, 12 Sep 1989, Webster & Thompson 27481 (DAV); 1350 m, 15 Sep 1989, Webster & Delprete 27595 (DAV); 1250 m, 16 Sep 1989, Webster et al. 27634 (DAV); 1250-1300 m, 0°7.5'N, 78°37.5'W, 17 Sep 1989, Webster & Urtecho 27652 (DAV); 12 Jul 1990, Webster & Kelch 28119 (DAV); Webster et al. 28127 (MO); 8 Jul 1992, Webster et al. 29121 (DAV); 1350-1400 m, 0°6'N, 78°37.5'W, 5 Sep 1993, Webster et al. 30294 (DAV).