Caulescent, rhizomatous herb, l-3 m tall, glabrous except the midrib of younger leaves minutely furfuraceous. Petioles often marked with maroon and sheathing stem to base of leaves; blades elliptic-oblong, long-acuminate at apex, obtuse to rounded below, mostly 30-100 cm long, 12-20 cm broad (the lowermost often tiny), dark green above, lighter below, the minute cross-veins visible. Inflorescence glabrous, erect; peduncle at least 3 cm long; bracts distichous, 6-9, red, 12-18 mm high at base, the lower ones often leafy and to 40 cm long, the uppermost 3-4 cm long; rachis somewhat flexuous; flowers 4-5.5 cm long, yellow except the tip green; pedicels and lower part of ovary yellow, the upper edge of ovary dark green, protruding above bract, prominently so in fruit. Fruits conspicuously truncate, ca 1 cm high, about as broad as long; immature fruit yellow with apex and peduncle green, mature fruits bluish-purple; seeds minute, brown. Croat 11137. Distinguished by the narrow, solid red, leafy bracts and yellow flowers.