Hemiepiphytic; stem appressed-climbing, scandent, often pendent, green becoming brownish to gray-green; internodes glossy, to 25 cm long,(0.8)1–2 cm diam., longer than broad, gray-green, semiglossy, more or less terete, epidermis drying light yellow-brown, conspicuously fissured or ridged but smooth, frequently flaking free; roots thin, more or less twisting or sinuous, few per node; cataphylls 10–29 cm long, unribbed to obtusely 1-ribbed or bluntly to sharply 2-ribbed, cream to medium green, magenta speckled, quickly deciduous, fragile; petioles 9–24 cm long, 8–10 mm diam., more or less terete, somewhat spongy, somewhat flattened adaxially, surface semiglossy to glossy, frequently fissured, medium green, sometimes maroon-spotted; blades narrowly ovate-cordate, subcoriaceous, concolorous or weakly bicolorous, acuminate to long-acuminate at apex (the acumen inrolled), cordate at base, 12–23(27) cm long, 7.4–19 cm wide (1.3–1.8 times longer than wide), (0.8–2.2 times longer than petiole), broadest just below point of petiole attachment, upper surface drying yellow-green, semiglossy, lower surface glossy; anterior lobe 10–21 cm long, 7.4–19 cm wide (2.5–4.2 times longer than posterior lobes); posterior lobes (2.8)3.6–7(8.2) cm long, (3.1)4.3–7.7 cm wide; sinus hippocrepiform; midrib convex to broadly convex and slightly paler above, convex to broadly convex and paler below; basal veins ca. 3 per side, with 0–1 free to base, 2–3 coalesced to 5 mm long, flattened to raised; posterior rib 0.5–1 cm long, never naked; primary lateral veins about 3(4) per side, departing midrib at a 55–65 degree angle, more or less straight to the margins, convex to weakly raised above, convex below; interprimary veins drying darker than surface below; tertiary veins more or less obscure to visible and darker than surface below; minor veins fine below, arising from both the midrib and primary lateral veins; "cross-veins" conspicuous (in Central America). Inflorescences erect, 1 per axil; peduncle (3.5)5–7(11.5) cm long, 5–7 mm diam., subterete, purplish tinged, whitish streaked; spathe 11–15 cm long, (1.2–3(4.3–4.7) times longer than peduncle), constricted only slightly midway above the tube; spathe blade green to greenish white, with reddish speckling outside, 7–7.5 cm long, pale greenish cream inside; spathe tube violet-purple, short lineate outside, 6.7–7 cm long, dark violet-purple inside; spadix sessile; ca. 13 cm long; pistillate portion white to pale greenish white, 4.5–5 cm long, 1.5 cm diam. throughout; staminate portion 8.5–9.2 cm long; fertile staminate portion white, drying redding brown, 1.2 cm diam. throughout; sterile staminate portion 1.5 cm diam.; pistils 7.5 mm long, 1.6 mm diam.; ovary 4–5-locular, 6.2 mm long, 1.6 mm diam., with axile placentation; locules ca. 6.2 mm long; ovules 15–25 per locule, 0.2–0.25 mm long, arranged in series of 2–3, style similar to style type D; style apex with low style boss. Infructescence with pistillate spadix 6.5–7.5 cm long, 2.5–3.5 cm wide; berries 5.9 cm long, 2.5 cm diam.; seeds 24–25 per locule, yellow-orange, 1.2 mm long, 0.5 mm diam., thin and faintly striate.

Type: Ecuador. Guayas: Balao, Eggers 14710 (holotype, B).

Esmeraldas: Lagarto-Borbonca. 2.5 km W of Borbon, ca.50 m, 1°5'N, 79°0'W, Croat 73120 (MO). Manabi: Machalilla National Park, San Sebastian, 8-9 km SE of Agua Blanco, 550 m, 1°36'S, 80°42'W, Gentry & Josse 72436 (MO).Los Ríos: Río Palenque, 150–220 m, 0°35'S, 79°22'W, Dodson 5872 (MO, QCA, SEL); Río Palenque, 47 km al sur de Santo Domingo, 150 m, 0°35'S, 79°25'W, Palacios & Freire 7411 (MO, NY, PMA); Río Palenque Biological Station, Quevedo-Santo Domingo Rd., Km 56, 150–220 m, Dodson 6223 (SEL). Pichincha: Santo Domingo/Quininde, Km 41, Zona Protectora La Perla, 0°49'3"S, 79°22'30"W, Zak et al. 5677 (QCNE).