Terrestrial climber to 4 m tall, but often climbing only rarely and existing largely as gregarious rosettes c. 10 cm tall arising from creeping stems. Stems sharply to rounded 4-angular, (1.5-)2-3(-6) mm diam., internodes in rosette shoots c. 0.6 cm; climbing stems with internodes 2.5-4.5(-7) cm long, often with conical axillary buds 1.5 by 1.5 mm inserted 3-3.5 mm above the axil. Leaves chartaceous, sessile, those of rosettes and short stems elliptic-oblong or oblanceolate-oblong, 6-11 by 1.5-2 cm, apex acute often inconspicuously peltate, base amplexicaul, subperfoliate, shortly decurrent down the stem by 0.3-0.6 cm; leaves of climbing stems lanceolate, oblanceolate-spathulate or oblong, (4.5-)6-9(-17) by (1.5-)1.8-2.5(-2.8) cm, base perfoliate or subperfoliate, decurrent down the stem by (0.1-)1.5-1.8(-2.5) cm. Longitudinal nerves 2 (or 3) on each side of the midrib, usually in the outer third, prominent above and below. Pennate nerves sparse, patent, branching and anastomosing, inconspicuous. Lower pitchers ovoid or broadly subcylindrical, 4.5-10(-12) by 1.5-4.2 cm, with two fringed wings 2.5-4 mm wide, fringed elements filiform, 3-5 mm long, 1-1.5 mm apart; mouth concave, narrowly ovate-rhombic, peristome cylindrical, 0.75-1.5(-3) mm diam., ribs 0.1(-0.2) mm high, 0.25-0.5 mm apart, outer edge not sinuate, inner edge entire; column absent; lid ovate to elliptic-rhombic, 1.7-4 by 1-2 cm, apex rounded, base rounded or shallowly cordate, upper surface bearing up to 24 ‘tentacles’ i.e. thick multicellular simple hairs 3-5(-10) mm long as extensions of the nerves from the marginal 5 mm, lower surface lacking appendages, midrib pronounced as a low keel c. 0.1 mm high, nectar glands absent or sparse and inconspicuous, circular, bordered, 0.1-0.2 mm wide; spur a fascicle of 4-7 branches 5-10 mm long, each usually dichotomously branched about 1/3 the length from the apex. Upper pitchers cylindrical or with a narrowly ovoid base tapering gradually to a cylindrical apex, (5.5-)6.5-8.5(-13.5) by 1.5-2.2(-3) cm, usually with fringed wings 3.5-5 mm wide, fringed elements 3-5 mm long, 2.5-3 mm apart; mouth in the larger pitchers sinusoidal from the side view: the front and rear parts much more steeply sloping than at the middle. Male inflorescence patent, 5-12 (-14.5) by c. 0.7 cm; peduncle (0-)2-4.5 cm long, 0.75-1.5 mm wide at the base; partial peduncles 30-40(-50), 1-flowered; bracts absent; pedicels 2-3.5(-8) mm, often curved; tepals oblong, 1.75-3 by 1-1.5 mm, apex obtuse; androphore 0.5-1.5 (-2.5) mm long; anther head 0.5-1 by 0.75-1.5 mm. Infructescence 1-6(-11) by 4-5 cm; peduncle 1.2-4.2 cm long bearing 5-10 fruits; fruits with valves 20-32 by 4-6.5 mm. Seeds fusiform, 14-16 by 0.7-0.8 mm. Indumentum of sessile red glands on stems, lower leaf blade, outer pitcher, upper and lower lid, and peduncle; rhachis, pedicels and lower tepals moderately densely hairy with rusty or coppery appressed simple hairs c. 0.2 mm long; upper surface of lid with ‘tentacles’. Colour of stems purple to green, leaves glossy dark green, sometimes suffused with purple; pitchers usually brownish purple, sometimes flecked with dark purple; peristome pale green or purplish black; mouth waxy green or pale purple; lid as pitcher; inflorescence yellowish green.