Terrestrial or epiphytic shrub or climber to 4 m tall. Climbing stems terete to triangular, 0.3-1 cm diam., often winged at two angles, occasionally with four, marked wings to 2.5 mm wide, internodes 5-12 cm long, axillary buds conspicuous, spike-like. Leaves chartaceous, petiolate; blade obovate to lanceolate, 15-30 by 2.5-7 cm, apex obtuse to acute, base attenuate, petiole canaliculate or narrowly winged, to 7 cm long, dilated at the base into an amplexicaul sheath which may be decurrent as two ridges or narrow wings for 1 cm or up to 2 internodes. Longitudinal nerves 1-3 on each side of the mid-rib, in the outer 1/3-1/4 of the blade, indistinct. (The leaf blade is occasionally strongly furrowed on its upper surface giving the impression of veins at regular spacing, the veins themselves are more apparent in dried specimens or when held against the light.) Pennate nerves numerous, not parallel, often branched, perpendicular near midrib, but irregular towards margin, indistinct. Lower pitchers narrowly ovoid, becoming cylindrical above, occasionally ‘waisted’, or the whole pitcher subcylindrical or cylindrical-ellipsoidal 8-20 by 2.2-5 cm, with 2 fringed wings up to 8 mm broad with fringed elements to 6 mm long, 1-4 mm apart; mouth ovate, concave, rising at the rear to a short, ill-defined column; peristome subcylindrical at the front, 2 to 5 mm wide, more flattened towards the lid, up to 15 mm wide, ribs 0.25-1 mm apart, conspicuous, outer edge entire or slightly sinuate, inner edge toothed; lid ovate, c. 2.5 by 2.5 cm, apex rounded, base cordate, lower surface usually with two appendages, basal appendage laterally flattened, often hooked towards base, apical appendage usually filiform, up to 12 mm long, rarely reduced to an inconspicuous swollen area, nectar glands sparsely scattered to fairly dense, orbicular, thinly bordered, 0.1-0.2(-0.4) mm diam., along the midline, sparsely scattered, larger, longitudinally elliptic, 0.5(-0.8) mm long, extending to appendages, where dense; spur filiform, entire, to 6 mm long. Upper pitchers abruptly or gradually originating from the tendril, narrowly infundibuliform, rarely tubular, or with an ovoid basal and cylindrical upper part, 6.2-19(-30) by 1.8-6(-8) cm, occasionally waisted, with 2 prominent ribs, occasionally with small fringed wings near the mouth, or rarely with wings as the lower pitchers; mouth ovate, acuminate and elongate towards the lid forming a column up to 3 cm tall; peristome flattened, up to 20 mm broad near the lid, ribs 0.25-0.5 mm apart, outer edge entire or irregularly sinuate, inner edge with teeth 1-2 mm long; lid elliptic to ovate, 2-5 by 3-6 cm long, apex obtuse, more or less cordate at base, lower surface with a laterally flattened, often hooked crest up to 8 mm long on the basal part of the midrib, and a filiform or dorsally flat-tened appendage near the tip, nectar glands as in lower pitchers, especially numerous and large on the two appendages; spur entire or shortly bifid, stout, 4-8 mm long. Male inflorescence 16-19(-40) by 2.5-3(-5) cm; peduncle 5.5-8(-14) cm long, 1.25-1.5 (-4) mm diam. at base; partial peduncles c. 85, mostly 2-flowered, 2-4(-5) mm long; bracts linear, recurved, c. 2.5 mm long, inserted 0-2 mm from base of partial peduncles; pedicel 6-9(-16) mm long; tepals elliptic, 3-4.5 by 1.5-2.5(-3.5) mm; androphore 2.5-4 mm long; anther head 1.25-1.5 by 1.5-2 mm. Indumentum variable, glabrous to densely pubescent with reddish brown hairs on stems, petioles, midrib, leaf margin, tendril and inflorescence from peduncle base to lower surface of the tepals, 0.2-0.3 mm long, androphore puberulent. Colour green to greenish white or yellowish green, usually mottled with red, peristome crimson; flowers dark red.
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