A very rare, beautifully coloured Philodendron bicolor Croat, Scherber., M.M.Mora & G.Ferry is a hemiepiphyte . Petioles are rect-spreading, subterete, conspicuously swollen and spongy, broadly and obtusely sulcate adaxially, flattened toward the apex and distinctly curved before geniculum, markedly bicolorous, medium to dark-green adaxially and conspicuously dark purplish violet on abaxial side, dark lineate, bearing a distinct purplish ring at the junction with the blade. Leaf blades extending from petioles are linear-oblong,  medium green when fresh turning dark green with age, bicolorous, semiglossy, conspicuously dark purplish violet abaxially, straight, slightly carinate, long-acuminate at apex, obtuse, subcordate to cordulate at base. 
 
From the Modern Latin genus name Philodendron (Schott, 1830), from Greek philodendron, neuter of philodendros "loving trees," from philo- "loving" (see philo-) + dendron "tree" (from PIE *der-drew-, from root *deru- "to be firm, solid, steadfast," also forming words for "wood, tree"). The plant so called because it clings to trees.