Terrestrial, low-climbing or sometimes epiphytic herb; stem massive, not producing rapidly growing juvenile branches with long slender internodes, internodes short, up to 6 cm long in lower, juvenile portion, ca 1 cm long in upper flowering portion, up to 14 cm thick; cataphylls 35-40 cm long, prominently bicarinate, whihish-yellow when young, soon marcescent, rusty-brown, forming persistent, dense mass of soft, net-fibrous remains clothed with brown, membranous epidermal remnants; LEAVES: petiole up to 100 cm long, 3.5 cm thick at base, 1.5 cm thick at apex, 1.3 times as long as lamina, terete or with upper surface apically flattened or convex with angled margins, lower surface rounded, green or sometimes reddish-tinged, sparsely spotted with purple-red glandular punctae; lamina 50-75 cm long, 40-60 cm broad, 1.2-1.3 times longer than broad, broadly ovate in outline, upper surface dark green, lower surface much paler, sparsely spotted with purple-red glandular punctae, apex obtuse, base cordate, posterior lobes well-developed, rounded, sometimes overlapping, separated by oblong to spathulate sinus 11-15 cm deep; midrib flattened on upper surface, strongly prominent on lower surface; primary lateral veins of anterior lobe 5-6 on each side, diverging at angle of 45°-65° from, midrib, impressed on upper surface, prominent and sometimes red-flushed on lower surface; basal veins 7-8 on each side, innermost more or less free, ascending or widely spreading, outermost 6-7 retrorsely arcuate, ascending distally, united proximally into distinct basal rib, denuded for 2.5-8.5 cm; inflorescences up to 7 per leaf axil, spathe tubes hidden amongst cataphyll remains; INFLORESCENCE: peduncle 2.5-8 cm long, up to 2 cm thick, thickening towards apex, white; spathe up to 21 cm long, basal convolute tube inflated, up to 7 em, long, 5 cm, broad, broadly elliptical, somewhat constricted apically, externally glossy crimson-carmine with white margins, similar internally but duller, apical expanded lamina up to 14 cm long, when expanded 8 cm broad, broadly ovate, apex cuspidate, externally white or more or less green-tinged, sporadically speckled with purple-carmine glandular punctae, internally opaque, dull white; spadix 15-16.5 cm long, pistillate portion sessile, 1.5-4 cm long, up to 2.5 cm thick at midpoint, tapering apically, staminate and staminodial portions together 12-13.5 cm long, opaque, creamy-white, basal staminodial portion somewhat inflated, 2 cm thick, central staminate portion 1.5-1.8 cm thick, tapering towards staminodial apical portion; pistil 6-7-locular, each locule with numerous axile ovules; stigma discoid, on short, thick, conical style. Seeds striate, ca 1 mm long, elliptical, numerous.

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Common in the wet northern parts of Trinidad, perhaps more widespread. Lowland and montane.

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Trinidad, Tobago. Guyana, Lesser Antilles as far north as Virgin Islands.

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