Plants to 2 (3.5) m tall, often in moderately large populations, brownish-pilose on most parts, especially on sheaths, petioles, and lower midrib of leaves; stem ca 1.5 cm diam. Leaves nearly sessile, oblanceolate-elliptic, caudate-acuminate, tapered to obtuse base, mostly 25-40 cm long, 9-16 cm wide. Inflorescences +/- ovoid, 4.56.5 (11) cm long, 3.5-4.5 (7) cm wide; bracts rounded, 3-4 cm long and wide, green, the covered portion red, the upper ones inconspicuously pubescent, the lowermost conspicuously villous and with reduced leaves, the upper margin thin, glabrous, and reddish, the callus green; bracteole 2-2.5 mm long; calyx 8-10 mm long, the lobes 2-4 mm long; corolla white, ca 5 cm long, the lobes obovate, ca 3.5 cm long, 1.5-2.0 cm wide; labellum 5.5-7 cm long, pale red striped with yellowish-white or pale yellow striped with red at apex, yellowish-white at base, unequally trilobate, the central lobe heavily tinged with yellow at base; petals 3, lanceolate-elliptic, obtuse to apiculate, yellowish-white, +/- transparent, 1.5-5 cm long; stamen 3-4.5 cm long, reddish and reflexed at apex; style borne between the 2 thecae, its broad stigma held just above the thecae. Fruiting inflorescence and fruits similar to C. laevis; capsules ellipsoid, 8-20 mm long, glabrous or puberulous at apex; seeds black. Croat 16198. Most easily confused with C. laevis because of the similar color of the labellum. It is distinguished, however, by being densely and softly pubescent, while C. laevis is nearly glabrous; C. laevis is also a much larger, stouter plant. Maas (1972) suggested this may be a hybrid of C. villosissimus and C. laevis. Pollinated by large bees, as are C. laevis and C. guanaiensis. Panama, Venezuela, Colombia, and Ecuador. In Panama, known from tropical moist forest in the Canal Zone and from premontane wet forest in Colón, Coclé (El Valle), and Panama (Cerro Jefe).