Herbs somewhat robust, stemless to decumbent, to 60 cm tall, smelling of camphor. Stem initially erect, later decumbent, 1-3 cm in diam. Leaves several together; petiole pale to mid-green with slightly darker longitudinal streaks, to 35 cm; petiolar sheath persistent, 4-7 cm, margins membranous; leaf blade mid-green, drying distinctively pale green, ovate-sagittate to elliptic-sagittate or lanceolate-sagittate, 20-30 × 10-17 cm, thinly leathery, base sagittate, sinus broad, ca. 5 cm, apex acute to long acuminate, with a tubular mucro ca. 2 mm; venation variously differentiated, posterior costae with 4-6 primary lateral veins arising ± simultaneously, anterior costa with 4-6 primary lateral veins and a similar number of virtually indistinguishable interprimary veins diverging from midrib at 45°, secondary venation striate. Inflorescences 1 or 2 together; peduncle erect (developing and floral) to declinate (post-anthesis and fruiting), colored as petiole, 10-18 cm. Spathe oblong, 8-10 cm; limb gaping at anthesis, then closing again. Spadix tapering cylindric, 7-9 cm, subequaling spathe, stipitate; stipe ca. 5 mm; female zone 1.5-3 × ca. 1 cm; ovary pale green, ovoid-globose, ca. 2 mm in diam., with an associated clavate staminode subequaling height; stigma sessile, capitate; staminode ivory-colored; male zone 5.5-6 × ca. 0.5 cm; male flowers white, rhombic-hexagonal in apical view, 1-2 mm in diam., each comprising 2 stamens overtopped by a large connective. Infructescence when ripe shedding spathe by slightly ragged basal abscission. Berries ripening dull orange yellow, smelling of overripe plums.
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A small plant. It is a stout herb with spreading roots covered with long fleshy fibres. The stem is simple and straight. The leaves are heart shaped with 2 lobes at the base. These are almost round. The leaf blade is shiny and smooth. The leaf stalk is about 25 cm long and it sheaths the stem at the base. The flower spadix is a flattened cylinder shape and it has a scent. There is a leafy spathe around it. This is green.
Evergreen, perhumid broad-leaved tropical and subtropical forests, less often in drier habitats such as seasonally partially deciduous perhumid forests, but then always associated with permanent water.
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A tropical plant. It grows along ditches and on the edges of clumps of trees. It is best in humus rich moist soils. In southern China it grows between 200-1,000 m above sea level. In Yunnan.
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