Terrestrial climber 2-6 m tall. Stems terete, those of short stems and rosettes 7-9 mm diam., internodes 0.5-1.5 cm long; climbing stems 5-9(-12) mm diam., internodes (4-)6-12(-17) cm, axillary buds inconspicuous. Leaves papery, distinctly petiolate, leaves of short stems narrowly oblong, (12-)17-37(-45) by (3-)4-7(-11) cm, apex acute or slightly acuminate, base abruptly acute or attenuate; leaves of climbing stems generally smaller, 10-20(-30) by (3-)3.5-5.5(-7) cm; petiole canaliculate, 4-17 by 0.3-0.5 cm (lower leaves), (5-)6-14 by 0.3-0.6(-1.2) cm (upper leaves), the base, in short stems/rosettes, sheathing the stem and clasping it for 2/3-3/4 its circumference, in climbing stems, neither sheathing nor winged, clasping the stem for c. 1/2 its circumference. Longitudinal nerves 3 or 4 (or 5) on each side of the midrib, inconspicuous above. Pennate nerves usually patent, nearly reaching the margin, rarely branched, inconspicuous. Lower pitchers broadly ovoid to subglobose, or ovoid or narrowly ovoid, 8.5-25 by 5.5-9 cm, with two fringed wings, 1-3 cm wide, widest at the base, fringed elements 5-10(-14) mm long, (1-)2-3(-4) mm apart; mouth oblique or horizontal, strongly concave, rising gradually at the rear and tapering to form a more or less distinct column 3-5 cm high and 1-2 cm deep, column apex swollen, the inner surface beset with protruding teeth 3-5 mm long; some pitchers with the mouth horizontal, flat, forming a 90° angle with the vertical column; peristome subcylindrical, but sometimes slightly flattened in the largest pitchers, 4-8(-10) mm wide at the sides, where widest, ribs 0.7-1(-1.5) mm apart, 0.1-0.2(-0.5) mm high, outer edge entire, inner edge about twice to thrice as long as the outer, with straight, conspicuous teeth, 2(-5) mm long; lid orbicular, broadly or narrowly ovate to long elliptic, the first in the smaller globose pitchers, the latter in the largest, narrowly ovoid pitchers, 4-9.5 by 3.2-7.5 cm, apex rounded, truncate or retuse, base shallowly cordate or rounded, lower surface lacking appendages, with two prominent main veins diverging from the base, nectar glands conspicuous, circular, narrowly bordered, 0.3-0.5 mm diam., scattered in a band around the periphery; spur (8-)13-25(-30) by 0.7-1(-2) mm, bifurcate 1-2 mm from the apex. Upper pitchers infundibulate or narrowly infundibulate, rarely subcylindrical, 9-34 by 3-8 cm, lacking fringed wings but with two ridges, mouth oblique, more or less straight, usually rising abruptly at the front, at the rear with a short stout column 1-3 cm high, as in the lower pitchers, peristome cylindrical, 2-8 mm wide, ribs (0.5-)0.75-1 mm apart, 0.2-0.5 mm high, outer edge entire, inner edge with broad short teeth 1(-2) mm long; lid broadly or narrowly ovate, rarely orbicular, trapezoidal, elliptic or obovate, (3.5-)4.2-7(-9) by (3-)3.8-7 cm, apex rounded, truncate, or slightly emarginate, base obtuse to slightly cordate, lower surface lacking appendages, nectar glands conspicuous in a dense band around the periphery, 0.7-0.8 mm diam., sometimes containing 3 or 4 smaller nectar glands; spur 8-12(-26) mm, usually entire. Male inflorescence (12-)18.5-49 by (2-)3.5-4(-5.5) cm; peduncle (5-)6-12 (-17) cm long, 2-3(-5) mm diam. at the base; partial peduncles 1-flowered, rarely mostly 2-flowered, (30-)60-80-flowered; bracts usually absent; pedicels (10-)12-15 (-20) mm; tepals elliptic, (5-)6-7 by 5 mm; androphore 4.5-6 mm long; anther head 1.2-1.5 by 2-2.5 mm. Infructescence (15-)23-35 by 7-11 cm; peduncle (6.5-)12-16 cm long, (2-)3-5 mm diam. at the base; fruits (15-)30-50. Fruits with stipe (3-)4-8 mm long, valves (16-)32-50 by (5-)6-10 mm. Seed filiform, (12-)17-18 by 0.2-0.4 mm. Indumentum of stems, midribs, lower surface of the leaf blade and inflorescences from base of peduncle to lower surface of the tepals white or grey arachnoid, lower leaf surface with minute white stellate hairs; pitcher surface with red sessile glands c. 0.1 mm diam., sometimes with short red simple patent hairs 0.1-0.2 mm long; inflorescence sometimes with admixture of semi-patent brown hairs 0.3 mm long; androphore glabrous. Colour of lower surface of the leaf blade drying brown, upper often yellowish green, stem white. Live lower pitchers generally white, strongly mottled with purplish red, rarely pure white, or white flushed pink; upper pitchers pale green, with peristome striped yellow, green and red; inflorescence with red or brown-red tepals.
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