Epiphyte; stems to 75 cm long; internodes short (to 1 cm long or less), 1-2.0 cm diam, smooth, medium green; roots green; cataphylls whitish, 8-15 cm long, deciduous; petioles 11-40 cm long, mostly 12-22 cm long, terete, sheathed 3-9.5 cm; blades oblanceolate to obovate, 40-54 cm long, 8-24 cm wide, 2.4-5 times longer than wide, acuminate at apex, acute to narrowly rounded at base, less frequently truncate; midrib convex in valley above, convex and paler below; primary lateral veins 15-20 per side, sunken above, arising from midrib at 40-60 degree angle, united into loop-connected collective veins 3-5 mm from margin, the collective veins sunken, equally as prominent as the primary lateral veins; upper surface drying grey-green; lower surface drying yellow-green to greyish. Inflorescence pendent; peduncle 19-49 cm long, 3-5 mm diam; spathe cucullate, dark green to yellow-green (5/5), spreading to reflexed, 6-8(10) cm long, 1-2.5 cm diam; spadix 4.5-10 cm long, yellow-green (5/5); infructescence to 21 cm long, to ca 2 cm diam, with tepals dark green, glossy, stipitate 1-1.5 cm; berries violet-purple to red, sometimes purplish violet in apical half, red in basal half.

Type: Ecuador. Pichincha: vic. Nanegal, August, 1874, Sodiro 74(B).

Esmeraldas: Reserva Etnica & Forestal Awá- Mataje, 1°17'N, 78°43'W, 400 m, Rodríguez 730 (QCA); Reserva Etnica Awá, Centro Guadualito, 80 m, 1°15'N, 78°40'W, Aulestia et al 230 (MO), 285 (MO); Reserva Cotacachi-Cayapas, 50 m, 0°39'N, 78°55'W, Cornejo & Bonifaz 6309 (GUAY, MO).Reserva Cotacachi-Cayapas, 150 m, 0°43'N, 78°53'W, Palacios & Tirado 11316 (QCNE, MO, NY); San Lorenzo, Parroquia Ricaurte, Centro Pambilar; 1°8'N, 78°36'W, Aulestia & Aulestia 951 (MO). Los Rios: Montañas de Ila, ca 10 km SE of Patricia Pilar, along road to Corina, 700 m, Gillespie 39 (UC); 12 km E. of Patricia Pilar, 650 m, Madison 3827 (SEL), 3929 (SEL), 600 m, 4242 (SEL); Patricia Pilar, at km 12, path following ridge line at El Centinel,600 m, Dodson & Gentry 12423 (MO, SEL); El Centinela, road from Patricia Pilar to 24 May 600 m, Dodson et al 8683 (MO), 8416 (MO,SEL); Cerro Centinella, 0°37'S, 79°18'W, Rubio & Alverson 403 (MO); Casaría Palmar de Bimbe, 29.5 km W of Patricia Pilar,m 0°33'S, 79°22'W, Croat 50671 (MO); Cerro Centinela. Montañas de Ila. 10 km al este de Patricia Pilar. 500 m, 0°37'S, 79°48'W, Palacios & Freire 7442 (MO), 7460 (MO); Río Palenque Field Station, 220 m, Fallen 797 (MO,SEL). Carchi: Reserva Indígena Awá.1000 m, 1°2'N, 78°16'W, Tipaz et al.1086 (MO, QCNE). Pichincha: Centinela, 12 km E of Patricia Pilar, 600 m, Besse et al. 1243(SEL); 0.2 km past Escuela Mixta La Centinela, 13 km E from main Santo Domingo-Quevedo Hwy in Patricia Pilar, 1000 m, 0°32'S, 79°11'W, Croat 73031 (MO); Nanegal, Sodiro 47 (B).