[3] Émile De Wildeman, the Belgian botanist who first formally described the species, named it after Marcel Laurent, the Belgian botanist who collected many plant specimens in the regions along the Congo River.

The base of the bract partially wraps the pedicel and its tip is pointed.

The sepals have flat bases, pointed tips and straight edges.

The outer petals are white to light pink with yellow and green streaks.

The outer petals have heart-shaped bases, pointed tips and straight margins.

The purple, hairless, cone-shaped fruit are 4.5–6.5 by 2–2.5 centimeters with a pointed tip that is 5 millimeters long.

[7] It has been observed growing in lowland rain forests at elevations from 400 to 500 meters.