Terrestrial, rupicolous herb; internodes short, 1–4 cm diam.; cataphylls 8–10 cm long, persistent semi-intact at upper nodes, brown, soon pale-fibrous and semi-intact, sometimes in a net-like reticulum below; petioles terete to U-shaped, narrowly sulcate, (19)54–71 cm long, 1.1–1.5 times longer than the blades, semiglossy, medium green to moderately dark, drying light yellowish brown; blades ovate-cordate, (14) 28–35 cm long, (10)19–26 cm wide, 1.1–1.3 times longer than wide, abruptly acuminate at apex coriaceous to subcoriaceous, dark green and semiglossy above, drying yellow-green to yellow-brown, paler and semiglossy below; sinus arcuate to hippocrepiform to rarely closed with the lobes overlapping, mostly 5–8 cm deep; midrib convex or narrowly raised in a valley above, convex or thicker than broad and paler below; primary lateral veins 5–7(8), narrowly sunken above, convex or narrowly raised and paler below, drying paler beneath; basal veins 5–8 pairs, 2–3 free to the base and arising at an acute angle then promptly branching with subequal branches, the branches extending at 20–30 degree angle to the margin; collective veins arising from one of the upper basal veins, loop-connecting and 1–3 mm from the margin; tertiary veins flat and darker than the surface, a few raised below; sinus arcuate to hippocrepiform, sometimes with decurrent petiole. Inflorescence erect; peduncle 19–62 cm long; spathe 3.5–7.5 cm long, 6–15 mm wide, green to greenish cream, sometimes heavily tinged purplish, reflexed-spreading; spadix dark violet-purple to purple, (3)6–13 cm long, 4–6 mm diam., stipitate 1–2 mm; 4–6 flowers visible per spiral, 1.8–2.8 mm long, 1.6–1.8 mm wide; tepals weakly glossy, lateral tepals with inner margin 1.3–1.5 mm wide; stamens held at the surface of the tepals; anthers orange; pollen golden. Berries red, obovoid, 5–7 mm wide.

Type: Ecuador. Bolívar: San Miguel Cantón: Balsapamba, Sodiro s.n, lectotype (G.

Esmeraldas: San Lorenzo Cantón: Parroquia Alto Tambo, Sector El Cristal, 1.5 km, Finca Lalama, 650 m, 0°50'N, 78°30'W, Quelal & Luteyn 516 (MO, QCNE); Río Cachabí, Sodiro s.n. (QPLS); Río Blanco, 800-1000 m, Chical-San Marcos; 01°4'N, 78°15'W, Thompson et al. 803 (MO); vic. Lita, 550–650 m, Madison et al. 4998 (US), 5248 (AAU, F, K, QCA, SEL, US); 5189 (SEL); 5283 (QCA, SEL); Lita, 540 m, Solís 12541 (F); path near Río Lita, 300-600 m, Cobb 67 (SEL), 73 (MO), 23 (MO), 66 (MO, SEL); 800 m, 0°55'N, 78°35'W, Gentry et al. 70159 (MO). 1400-1500 m, 0°49'N, 78°29'W, Palacios 5191 (MO); 200 m, 1°8'N, 78°33W, Aulestia et al.325 (MO, US). Lita-San Lorenzo, Km 25, Morán & Rohrbach 5300 (MO). Guayas: Teresita, 3 km W of Bucay, 270 m, Hitchcock 20525, 20491 (US). Los Rios: Motalvo, ca 40 km E of Babahoyo, 100–200 m, Holm-Nielsen et al. 2702 (AAU, F, MO, NY). Carchi: San Marcos, 600 m, 0°8'N, 78°20'W, Thompson et al. 778 (CM); Tulcán Cantón: Parroquia Tobar Donoso, Sector Sabalera, Awá Reserve, NE of Casa Comunal, 650–100 m, 1°N, 78°24'W, Tipaz et al. 1501 (MO, QCNE); Reserva Indigena Awa, Centro El Baboso, Parroquia Tobar Donoso, 1800 m, 0°53'N, 78°25'W, Tipaz et al. 1827 (MO, QCNE); Chical, west of Maldonado on trail to Penas Blances ,1200-1350 m, Gentry & Shupp 26395 (SEL, MO); Reserva Etnica-Forestal Awa, 800-1000 m, 1°10'N, 78°25'W, Jorgensen et al. 65222 (AAU); San Marcos valley, 600 m, 1°7'N, 78°22W, Kvist & Nissen 48782 (AAU). 900 m, 0°55'N, 78°32'W, Aulestia etal. 666 (BM, L, MO, RSA, TEX); Lita, 600 m, Plowman 14084 (F); El Pailon; Plowman 14072 (Selby 79-2020)(F); Reserva Awa, 750 m, Parroquia El Chical, Centro San Marcos, 1°6'N, 78°14'W, Méndez et al. 223 (MO, QCNE); Reserva Awa, 1150 m, Centro Gualpí Medio, Río Canumbí, 1°2'N, 78°15'W, Grijalva et al. 496, 596 (MO); Reserva Ethnica Awa, 900 m, 1°1'N, 78°16'W, Quelal et al. 615 (MO, QCNE); Communidad Gualpí Alto, 1,800 m, 1°2'N, 78°14'W, Rubio et al. 1541 (MO, QCNE). Imbabura: vic. Lita, 600 m, 0°5'N, 78°27'W, Eriksen 59278 (AAU, QCA).. Pichincha: ENDESA, 700 m, 0°5'N, 79°2'W, Ayala 16 (QCA); Jaramillo 6743 (QCA); Rodríguez 223A (MO). Tinalandia, 9.6 km E of Santo Domingo de los Colorados, 700 m, 0°16'N, 79°7'W, Croat 55732 (MO); Santo Domingo de los Colorados, Asplund 16411, 16418, 16406 (S); Río Blanco, 300 m, Harling 4479 (S); Santo Domingo de los Colorados, 800 m, Solís 10884 (F); 3 km W of bypass around Santo Domingo de los Colorados, 530 m, Fallen 849 (MO); Santo Domingo-Puerto Limón road, Congoma Grande (Colorado community); 100 m, 0°21'S, 79°22'W, Kvist & Holm-Nielsen 40129 (AAU, MO, NY, QCA, US); Santo Domingo-Queveda, km 7, 7 km E, Río Chiquilpe near jct with Río Baba, 420 m, Dodson et al. 7893 (MO). Tungurahua: entre Baños y Río Verde, 1600-1800 m, Solis 10264 (F). Bolivar: San Miguel Cantón, Balsapamba, Sodiro s.n. (not seen). Chimborazo: Sodiro s.n. (B, G).