It is a terrestrial plant native to the wet montane forests on the eastern slope of the Andes in Colombia, Ecuador, and Peru.

[2] It has 13–30 cm long, 2–5 cm wide, dull green, keeled leaves.

The inflorescence is 1-6 flowered, opening sequentially, up to 50 cm long, brown, pilose.

Phragmipedium besseae produces long rhizomes.

This Cypripedioideae-related article is a stub.