Usually epiphytic, occasionally terrestrial; stem short and thick, 5.5–15 cm long, 2.5–5 cm diam.; roots numerous, descending, bright green to greenish white, densely pubescent, elongate, 3–5 mm diam.; cataphylls subcoriaceous, broadly lanceolate, conspicuously 1-ribbed, 9–18 cm long, acute at apex with subapical apiculum, green, drying pale yellow-tan (B & K yellow-red 9/7.5), persisting semi-intact, eventually dilacerating into reticulum of fine fibers. Leaves erect to spreading; petioles (11.5)15–38 cm long, 6–15 mm diam., D- to U-shaped, flattened and sulcate to weakly convex with the margins bluntly to sharply raised adaxially, rounded to 1–3-ribbed abaxially, the surface densely pale-speckled; geniculum thicker and paler than petiole, 1–2.5 cm; blades coriaceous, oblong-elliptic to narrowly oblanceolate to oblong-lanceolate, acuminate to obtuse-rounded at apex (the acumen weakly apiculate), acute to obtuse or cuneate at base, 46–96 cm long, (9.5)15–22 cm wide, broadest at or near the middle, the margins slightly undulate; upper surface matte to semiglossy, medium to dark green, lower surface glossy to semiglossy, paler; both surfaces drying matte, green to pale yellow; midrib above prominently convex at base, becoming 1-ribbed toward the apex, paler than surface and somewhat speckled, below obtusely raised at base, becoming prominently convex toward the apex and paler than surface, drying convex on both sufraces; primary lateral veins (15)20–30 per side, departing midrib at 40–70 degree angle, straight or arcuate, prominently convex and paler than surface above, less convex to flat and slightly darker than surface below; interprimary veins almost as conspicuous as primary lateral veins, raised above, flat to weakly raised below; tertiary veins obscure above and below, slightly raised when dried on both surfaces; collective vein arising from near the base, occasionally in the upper third of the blade, weakly sunken and less prominent than primary lateral veins above, raised and equally as prominent as primary lateral veins below, 4–15 mm from margin. Inflorescence erect to erect-spreading to spreading, shorter than leaves; peduncle 11–34 cm long, 5–10 mm diam., 0.5–2 times as long as petiole, medium green, terete, sometimes 1-ribbed below the spathe; spathe reflexed-spreading, slightly twisted, subcoriaceous, green (B & K green 6/2.5), broadly to narrowly lanceolate or ovate, 9–16 cm long, 2.8–4.5 cm wide, broadest near the base, inserted at 60 degree angle on peduncle, acuminate at apex (the acumen inrolled), obtuse at base, the margins meeting at 110 degree angle; stipe 7–10 mm long in front, to 5 mm long in back; spadix dark purple to reddish violet (B & K purple 3/2.5), cylindroid to short-tapered at apex, more or less erect, 5.8–20 cm long, ca. 8 mm diam. near base, 4–5 diam. near apex; flowers irregularly 4-lobed to rhombic, 1.8–2.6 mm long, 1.8–2.8 mm wide, the sides jaggedly sigmoid to straight; 9–13 flowers visible in principal spiral, 8–10 in alternate spiral; tepals matte, densely and minutely punctate and papillate; lateral tepals 1–1.2 mm wide, the inner margins straight; pistils scarcely emergent, glossy, papillate, with exposed portion more or less rectangular, green; stigma linear, dark purple, 0.4–0.6 mm long; stamens emerging more or less regularly and promptly from the base, laterals emerging throughout, or at least to midway, before alternates emerge, borne at the edge of tepals; filaments translucent to greenish, minutely purple-spotted, soon retracting, 0.9 mm wide; anthers pale orange with purple punctations, 0.5–0.7 mm long, 0.7–0.8 mm wide; thecae oblong-ovoid, scarcely divaricate; pollen bright orange fading to lavender or pinkish white, faintly yeasty-scented. Infructescence with spathe persisting; spadix 20–22 cm long, ca. 2 cm diam.; berries red, exserted slightly beyond the tepals, subglobose, ca. 5 mm diam.; tepals becoming fleshy, white, enlarged, elongate and 3-sided in cross-section with the outer angle of the apex raised and acute.

Type: Ecuador. Los Ríos: Centro Cientifico Río Palenque, W of laboratory & vic. of laboratory clearing, 210--250 m, Croat 38666 (MO 2387864﷓65, holotype; B, CAS, CM, K, M, NY, QCA, RSA, US isotypes).

Cotopaxi: Río Guapara: 20 km NW of El Corazón, 250 m, Sparre 17248 (S). Esmeraldas: ca. 50 m, 1°05'N, 79°0'W, 17 Mar 1992, Croat 73118 (MO); Awa Reserve, 225 m, 1°15'N, 78°40'W, 31 Oct 1994, Ortiz & Montesdeoca 23 (MO). Los Ríos: Río Palenque Biological Station: Quevedo﷓Santo Domingo, 210--250 m, Croat 38666 (B, CAS, CM, K, M, MO, NY, QCA, RSA, US). Dodson & Tan 5389 (US, SEL); Madison 3715 (SEL), 5513 (K), 6959 (MO, SEL, US). Morona-Santiago: 700--800 m, Gualaquiza, Mision Bomboiza, Mison Salesiana, 1967, Sparre 19282 (MO, S); 19252, 19108, 19114 (S). - Cult.by Tom Fennel, Homestead, FL, Croat 57195 (F, MO).