Terrestrial; stem elongate, to 50 cm long, 1.5–2.5 cm diam.; roots moderately numerous, dense, white, smooth, thick, more or less elongate; cataphylls lanceolate, probably subcoriaceous, to 11 cm long, acute at apex, drying yellowish tan, persisting as fine linear fibers. Leaves spreading; petioles 6.5–11 cm long, ca. 5–7 mm diam., triangular, flattened adaxially with the margins moderately to sharply raised, sides weakly convex, obtusely rounded to acutely angular abaxially; geniculum not at all or only slightly thicker than petiole when dried, 0.7–1 cm long; blades coriaceous, broadly to narrowly oblanceolate-elliptic, acute at apex, acute to obtuse at base, (22.5)28–63 cm long, (3.8)4.7–10.7 cm wide, broadest above the middle, the margins straight to weakly undulate; upper surface semiglossy, medium green, paler below; both surfaces drying matte, occasionally semiglossy below, green to yellowish; midrib convex- to round-raised above, sharply acute below; primary lateral veins numerous, to more than 20 per side, departing midrib at 50–65 degree angle, more or less straight, obscure to raised and darker than surface above, flat to weakly raised below; interprimary veins numerous, almost as conspicuous as primary lateral veins on both surfaces; tertiary veins not visible on either surface; collective vein arising from near the base, sometimes in the upper third of the blade, equally as prominent as primary lateral veins on both surfaces when dried, 3–12 mm from margin. Inflorescences erect to spreading; peduncle 22–40 cm long, 2–4 mm diam., 2.6–4.2 times as long as petiole, apparently ribbed abaxially; spathe reflexed, subcoriaceous, green, lanceolate, 4.5–8 cm long, 0.7–1.4 cm wide, broadest near the base, acuminate at apex, acute at base; stipe to 1 cm long in front, to 3 mm long in back; spadix dark purple, weakly tapered, stipitate to sessile, ca. 3.5–6 cm long, ca. 4–5 mm diam. near base; flowers more or less square 3.1–4.3 mm in both directions, the sides straight to smoothly sigmoid; 5–6 flowers visible n principal spiral, 6–7 in alternate spiral; lateral tepals 2.3–3 mm wide, the inner margins straight, slightly turned up against the pistil, the outer margins 2-sided; pistils drying blackened, emergent well above the tepals, green; stigma linear, 0.5–0.6 mm long; anthers pinkish, ca. 0.8 mm long, 1 mm wide; thecae ovoid, slightly divaricate. Infructescence with spathe absent; spadix 3–13.5 cm long, 0.8–1 cm diam.; berries globose, rounded at apex, 3.2–4 mm long, 3.7–4.5 mm diam.; pericarp thickened, with numerous pale raphide cells; mesocarp translucent, gelatinous; seeds 2 per berry, reddish brown, ovoid, flattened, dried 3–3.5 mm long, 2.3–2.4 mm diam., 1.1–1.3 mm thick, enveloped by gelatinous, sticky, amber substance.

Type: Peru. Cusco:Urubamba, Machupicchu, 0.5 km N of the union of Río Sayacmarca and Río Aobamba, 2370 m, Peyton & Peyton 486 (MO 3024625﷓6, holotype).

Pichincha: 1800--3356 m, 0°05'N, 78°30'W, 30 Aug 1987, Carlos, Cerón & Hernández 1952 (MO). Zamora﷓Chinchipe: Loja﷓Zamora, 13 km E of Loja, 2220 m, 4°5'S, 79°6'W, Croat 50747 (CM, MO). —Bolivia to Peru at (1,700) 2,000 to 2,400 m in subtropical lower montane moist forest, lower montane wet forest, subtropical montane wet forest and high montane wet forest life zones. — Bolivia. Bolivia. Cochabamba: Prov. Chapare: San Onafre, 1700 m, Steinbach 9419 (GH). La Paz. Prov. Sud Yungas: Huancane, 13 km toward San Isidro, N of Chulumani, 2200 m, Beck 8756 (MO). Peru. Amazonas. Prov. Bongara. Lago Pomacocha: Moyobamba﷓Pomacocha, km 340, 2200 m, 5°47', 77°53'W, Croat 58298 (CM, MO, RSA, USM). Cajamarca: Prov. Santa Cruz: Dtto. Catache: upper Río Zana valley, ca. 5 km above Monte Seco on path to Chorro Blanco, 1500﷓2000 m, Dillon et al. 4385A, 4905 (F, MO). Prov. Cutervo: Paruqe Nacional de Cutervo, 2300﷓2400 m, Diaz et al. 3964 (MO). Cusco. Río Lucumayo: La Convencion, 6 km from Incatambo, 2350 m, Peyton & Peyton 994 (MO). Prov. Urubamba. 2100 m, Nunez 8928 (MO); Machupicchu: on slope 0.5 km N of confluence of Río Sayacmarca and Río Aobamba, 2370 m, Peyton & Peyton 1486 (MO); 2.5 km from Machupicchu, above 1st waterfall of Río Mandor, 2290 m, Peyton & Peyton 455 (MO). Junin. Prov. Oxapampa: Soukup 2324 (GH). Pasco. Cordillera Yanachaga: trail to summit of Cordillera via Río San Daniel, 2400 m, 10°23'S, 75°27'W, Smith et al. 7929 (MO).