Philodendron tenue K.Koch & Augustin can grow to very large sizes when given suitable support and conditions. It is a very showy plant with its stunning, glossy rippled foliage. It is usually hemiepiphytic, rarely terrestrial or epilithic. Its stem is usually appressed-climbing. Petioles  are erect, ± terete, stiff, firm, dark green, sometimes somewhat flattened with a low medial rib adaxially, surface weakly semiglossy, weakly light green striate with many small, fine ridges; geniculum thicker than petiole, 3 - 4 cm long, scurfy, slightly paler than petiole. Leaf blades are ovate to ovate-triangular with prominent posterior lobes, chartaceous to subcoriaceous, moderately bicolorous, narrowly acuminate, sometimes long-acuminate at apex. Leaf margins weakly undulate, upper surface gray-green to dark green, glossy, lower surface semiglossy, paler.
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.