Terrestrial, rarely epiphytic; stem to 50 cm long, 1–3 cm diam.; roots dense, drying whitish to tan,moderately elongate; cataphylls thin, lanceolate, 6–13 cm long, acuminate at apex, drying reddish brown, persisting semi-intact, quickly weathering to straw-colored fibers. Leaves erect-spreading; petioles 11–31 cm long, 4–8 mm diam., subterete to triangular, flattened to broadly convex adaxially, sometimes with the margins sharp, rounded or sharply 1-ribbed abaxially; geniculum slightly paler and scarcely thicker than petiole, (0.6)1–3 cm long; sheath 1.5–3 cm long; blades coriaceous to subcoriaceous, broadly elliptic, rarely somewhat oblanceolate, shortly acuminate at apex, acute to narrowly acute at base, 35–61 cm long, 10–19 cm wide, broadest near the middle, the margins flat to slightly revolute; upper surface weakly glossy to semiglossy to glossy, dark to medium green, lower surface semiglossy, conspicuously paler; midrib convexly raised at base, becoming sharply acute toward the apex above, slightly paler than surface, acutely raised below; primary lateral veins 24–43 per side, departing midrib at 40–60 degree angle, straight to the collective vein, usually prominently and sharply raised above, flat to sunken below; interprimary veins almost as conspicuous as primary lateral veins; tertiary veins obscure, prominulous above and below on drying; reticulate veins not visible; collective vein arising from the base, equally as prominent as primary lateral veins, 10–15 mm from margin. Inflorescences erect; peduncle 21–52 cm long, 3–4 mm diam., 1–2.2 times as long as petiole, green to purple, terete, sometimes with many weakly to prominently raised striations; spathe reflexed or rarely spreading, subcoriaceous, green, usually tinged with purple, oblong-lanceolate, 3.5–7 cm long, 0.6–1.3 cm wide, broadest near the base, acute to abruptly acuminate at apex, acute at base; spadix green, usually tinged with purple to purplish brown, sessile or stipitate to 2 mm, scarcely tapered, erect, 2.5–5.5 cm long, 3–5 mm diam. midway, 3–4 mm diam. near apex; flowers square to rhombic, 1.4–2 mm long, 1.4–1.8 mm wide, the sides straight; 5–9 flowers visible in principal spiral, 4–6 in alternate spiral; tepals matte, minutely papillate; lateral tepals 1.1–1.2 mm wide, the inner margins rounded, the outer margins 2-sided; pistils emergent, glossy; stamens exserted; anthers pink-orange, 0.4–0.5 mm long, 0.5 mm wide; thecae oblong-ellipsoid, slightly divaricate; pollen pale orange fading to white. Infructescence erect; spathe persisting; spadix 8–10 cm long, 1.3–1.7 cm diam., with berries scattered throughout; berries (immature) green, emergent ca. 1/2 way, obovoid, shortly beaked at apex on drying, ca. 6.5 mm long, ca. 4 mm diam.; pericarp with raphide cells; seeds 2 per berry, oblong-obovoid, flattened, beaked at apex, 4–4.5 mm long, 2.5–2.7 mm wide, 1.5–1.8 mm thick, with a gelatinous appendage at one end.

Type: Ecuador. Napo: between Quito & Baeza, S of road above jct. of road to Baeza & to Lago Agrio, 1800 m, Croat 58491 (MO 3183150, holotype; QCA, VEN, RSA, K, US, isotypes).

Pichincha: Chiriboga, "La Favorita", 1600--1800 m, 0°12'S, 78°47'W, Cerón et al. 8955 (MEXU, MO, NY, QCNE); Montado Bajo, 1600--1800 m, 0°16'S, 78°44'W, Benavides 79 (MO); Quito--Chiriboga--Santo Domingo road, 3.5 km from highway, km 59 Reserva Natural Río Guajalito, 1800 m, 0°13'53"S, 78°48'10"W, Croat 72044 (CM, K, KYO, M, MO, SEL, US). Tungurahua: Río Negro: 1200 m, 1°24'S, 78°13'W, Harling & Andersson 17240 (GB). Napo: Lago Agrio--Baeza, 1940--2000 m, 0°15'S, 77°45'W, Øllgaard et al. 35767 (AAU); Quito--Baeza, S of rd. above jct. of rds. to Baeza & Lago Agrio, 1800 m, Croat 58491 (K, MO, QCA, RSA, US, VEN); Lago Agrio--Baeza, 32.8 km E of Baeza turn﷓off, 1840 m, 0°17'S, 77°46'W, Croat 58730 (B, CM, MO, QCA); Baeza--jct. of road to Lago Agrio, 2500 m, Croat 49439 (MO, NY, QCA); Baeza--Tena, 37.7 km S of Baeza, 59 km N of Archidona, 1700 m, 0°36'S, 77°1'W, Croat 58781 (CAS, MO, QCA); Canton Archidona, Carretera Hollin--Loreto, Km 50, Guagua Sumaco, 1000 m, Cerón & Hurtado 6565 (MO); Km 25, Challua Yacu, 1200 m, Cerón & Hurtado 6455 (MO); Baeza--Lago Agrio: 19.7 km NE of El Chaco, 39 km NE of jct. of road to Tena, 1750 m, Croat 58529 (MO, QCA); Río Oyacachi, 1620 m, 0°20'S, 77°55'W, Croat 50297 (M, MO); Km 142, 1800 m, Croat 49454 (IBE, MO, NY). Cerro Antisana, 1 mi. NE of Borja, NE of Baeza, 1850 m, 0°25'S, 77°50' W, Grubb et al. 1267c (K). Cordillera de Guacamayos, S slope: Baeza--Tena, above Jondachi, 1500 m, Harling & Andersson 16342 (AAU, MO). Volcán Sumaco: Cotundo--Coca, 15 km E of Baeza--Tena road, 1300 m, 0°40'S, 77°40'W, Palacios & Neill 1559 (MO). Pastaza: Between Shell and Mera, 5.3 km NW of center of Shell, along gravel road, 1.1 km N of highway, 1180 m, 1°27'S, 78°4'W, Croat 73450 (MO); along road between Mera and Río Anzu, 11.7 km N of main plaza in Mera, on Puyo--Baños Road, 1350--1380 m, 1°20'S, 78°6'W, Croat 73589 (MO). Morona﷓Santiago: Limón (General Plaza)--Macas, 8 km N of Limón, 1100 m, 2°57'S, 78°25'W, Stein 2826 (B, K, MO, QCNE, US); 7--8 km N of Gualaquiza on road to Indanza, 1450 m, Harling & Andersson 24199 (GB, MO); Tumbez--Tucumbatz, Km 20 on road Gualaquiza--Indanza, 1600 m, Harling & Andersson 24360 (GB); Cordillera de Cutucú: Río Chihuasi, 25 km SE of Lagrono, 800--1000 m, Madison 2605 (SEL); Lagrono--Yaupi, 1600 m, 2°46'S, 78°6'W, Madison et al. 3457, 3502 (SEL); Río Tintas: Campanas--Arenillas, 10 leagues SE of El Pan, 2195 m, Steyermark 53610 (US, NY); along road between Macas and Puyo, 31 km N of Macas, 28.5 km N of bridge over Río Upano, 1125 m, 2°1'S, 77°56'W, Croat 72804 (MO). Zamora﷓Chinchipe: La Saquea--Yacuambi, 1 km N of Chapintza, road, 1100 m, Harling & Andersson 23868 (GB); Faldas de la Cordillera del Cóndor, Sendero desde Pachichutza hacia "el Hito", 1300--1400 m, 4°7'S, 78°34'W, Palacios & Neill 6555 (MO, QCNE); along road between Loja and Zamora, at Río Zamora, along steep slopes above bridge, 1610 m, 4°5'S, 79°0'W, Croat 72693 (MO).