Epiphytic shrub or climber in canopy, less usually terrestrial, stems to 3 m tall. Stems of rosettes terete, 0.8 mm diam., internodes 1 cm long; short stems terete, c. 4 mm diam., internodes 1-2 cm long; tall stems terete or 2-angled or 2-winged, 3-6(-10) mm diam., wings up to 3 mm wide, internodes 3-8.5(-12) cm long, with axillary buds 2-7 by 1.5 mm, 5-15 mm above the axil. Leaves petiolate, coriaceous; rosette leaves narrowly to broadly oblong-elliptic, 10-13.5 by 6-8.2 cm, apex obtuse to truncate, not peltate, base truncate to obtuse; leaves of short stems obovate or elliptic, 9-12.5 by 3.5-5 cm, apex obtuse, base attenuate-decurrent; petiole winged, 3-5 cm long, 7 mm wide including the wings, base sheathing and clasping the stem for 3/4 its circumference; leaves of long stems obovate, oblong-elliptic or lanceolate-elliptic, 6-13(-20) by 2.5-5(-6.5) cm, apex obtuse, rounded, emarginate or acute, base decurrent-attenuate, truncate, rounded or obtuse; petiole canaliculate, rarely winged, 2-6 cm long, 0.4 cm wide, clasping the petiole for 1/3-1/2 its circumference, sometimes decurrent to the node below as an arcuate or straight ridge or wing. Longitudinal nerves 2 or 3 on each side of the midrib in the outer 1/3, not very conspicuous. Pennate nerves patent, fairly numerous, reaching the longitudinal nerves, inconspicuous. Lower pitchers subcylindrical, lower half slightly ellipsoid, upper half slightly narrower, cylindrical, 10-13 by 2-3 cm, with two fringed wings 3-4 mm wide, fringed elements 4-8 mm long, 3-4 mm apart; mouth oblique, concave, ovate, rising at the rear to a short, tapered column, peristome cylindrical to flattened, 3 mm wide, ribs conspicuous, 0.2-0.5 mm apart, outer edge entire, inner edge lacking teeth; lid triangular-lanceolate, 2.7-3.2 by 1.7-1.8 cm, margin sinuate, usually with a basal and apical appendage, nectar glands as in the upper pitchers; spur filiform, 5 by 0.3 mm, apex acute. Upper pitchers subcylindrical to broadly infundibuliform, sometimes abruptly constricted at the mouth, 11-21.5(-30) by 2.5-7(-9) cm, without fringed wings, but with two ridges c. 1 mm wide; mouth ovate, oblique, strongly concave or L-shaped in side profile, the rear part held vertically, rarely slightly reflexed, to form an acute column up to 4 cm high; peristome cylindrical, 2-4 mm wide, or, especially in the column area, flattened, 4-11 (-21) mm wide, ribs as in lower pitchers, outer edge entire, or sinuate with 1-4 shallow lobes on each side, inner edge with inconspicuous, slightly curved teeth 0.3 mm long, with conspicuous nectar glands between them; lid raised from the horizontal, to erect, narrowly triangular-lanceolate, 2.5-5(-7) by 1-3 cm, apex rounded to obtuse, base truncate or cordate, margin involute and sinuate, lower surface with apical appendage filiform, 0-7 mm long, exserted, basal appendage semicircular, laterally flattened, 3-6 by 5-10 mm on ridge up to 10 mm high at the column apex, tapering towards the lid apex, nectar glands narrowly elliptic, 1-1.2 by 0.3 mm along the midrib keel, otherwise circular, thinly bordered, 0.2-0.5 mm diam., densely scattered or sometimes largely absent; spur 10-20 mm long, flattened, apex rounded. Male inflorescence 12.5-24 by 2.5-3.5 cm; peduncle 4.75-6(-12) cm long, 1.5-3.5 mm diam. at base; partial peduncles 2-flowered, (20-)50, 1.5-2(-5) mm long; bracts absent; pedicels (6-)8-11 mm long; tepals elliptic, 3.5-4 by 1.5-2 mm; androphore (1.5-)3-4 mm long; anther head 1-1.2 by 1.2-1.25 mm. Infructescence 28-44 by 6-9 cm, bearing 12-20(-60) fruits; peduncle 10-24 cm long, 3-5 mm diam. at base. Fruits with valves 18-22(-39) by 3-3.2 mm. Seeds filiform, 9.5-11.5(-20) by 0.2-0.4 mm. Indumentum of stems fairly densely and roughly pubescent with simple or branched, erect to forward-directed red brown to black hairs 0.3-0.5 mm long. Colour of the stems dark brown hairy, lower pitchers purplish black, lightly splashed with cream; upper pitchers pale green, usually lightly splashed at the top with red; flowers brown.
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