Epiphyte; stems short, to 2.5-3(-5) cm diam.; cataphylls drying reddish brown persisting more or less intact, ultimately weathering to a network of fibers at base; petioles 13-100 cm long, 3-10 mm diam., subterete, shallowly and bluntly sulcate; blades narrowly ovate-triangular, moderately thick, 15-66 cm long, 11-48 cm wide, prominently lobed at base. Inflorescence erect; peduncle 51-65(-76) cm long, 4-6(-9) mm diam.; spathe lanceolate, green, 8-23 cm long, 1.5-4.5 (-6) cm wide; spadix stipitate to ca. 11 cm, 7-28 cm long, 4-15 mm diam., violet purple; berries orange to red-orange, ellipsoid to obovoid, 5-8 mm long., ca. 5 mm diam., seeds 2. See Croat (1983: 260) for a more complete description.

The species is known from Costa Rica to Colombia at elevations from near sea level to 1,200 m. In Panama it also occurs rarely in premontane moist and tropical moist forest.

Anthurium brownii is in section Belolonchium and is distinguished by its thick blades with usually undulate margins and reticulate veins that dry very prominent. The leaf tends to dry silver or grayish on both surfaces. Also distinctive are the long, slender, violet purple spadix and the red-orange berries.

Three collections from the Río Tuquesa area in Darien Province, Croat 27147, 27166, 27197, match the type of Anthurium brownii from Colombia but differ from material from Barro Colorado Island in having a longer anterior lobe.

Map of Mesoamerican specimens with coordinates

Costa Rica Alajuela:, , Burger & Baker 9855 (F, MO).
Costa Rica Alajuela: 500 m, 10.55N 85.20W, 4 November 1987, Gerardo Herrera 1130 (MO).
Costa Rica Alajuela: 600 m, 10.43.30N 85.00.30W, 14 July 1988, Gerardo Herrera 2091 (MO).
Costa Rica Alajuela: 650 m, 10.22N 84.38W, 29 Jun 1985, B. Hammel, E. Bello & W. Haber 14069 (MO).
Costa Rica Guanacaste: 1000 m, 11.02.00N 85.25.20W, 14 June 1989, Barry Hammel & Curso de Biodiversidad (INBio) 17470 (MO).
Costa Rica Guanacaste: 600 m, 10.45N 85.18W, 8 March 1988, Gerardo Herrera 1616 (MO).
Costa Rica Guanacaste: 700 m, 10.46.45N 85.15.38W, 20 June 1991, Gerardo Rivera 1398 (MO).
Costa Rica Heredia: Río La Paz Grande, 1400-1600 m,, 29 May 1976, Thomas B. Croat 35859 (MO).
Costa Rica Lim—n: 5 m, 09.38N 82.39W, 2 Nov 1984, Michael Grayum & Willie Burton 4335 (MO).
Costa Rica Lim—n: 700 m, 9.47.25N 83.06.30W, 15 April 1989, Gerardo Herrera & Abelardo Chacón 2629 (MO).
Costa Rica Puntarenas: Parque Nacional Corcovado, 1-50 m, 08.28N 83.35W, 21 June 1989, Kernan 1175 (CR, MO).
Costa Rica Puntarenas: 90-105 m, 8.46N 83.18W, 16 Sept. 1987, Thomas B. Croat 67665 (MO).
Costa Rica Puntarenas: 200-400 m, 08.42N 83.31W, 7 Oct 1984, M. Grayum, G. Herrera, G. Schatz & F. Chavarría 4018 (MO).
Costa Rica Puntarenas:, , Koch 5065 (MO). Costa Rica Puntarenas: 0 m, 8.27N 83.33W, 17 June 1988, C. Kernan & P. Phillips 591 (MO).
Costa Rica Puntarenas: 300 m,, 16 July 1991, Juan Marín 13 (MO, CR).
Costa Rica Puntarenas: 50-150 m, 8.42.20N 83.31.30W, 5 August 1991, Reinaldo Aguilar 189 (MO).
Costa Rica Puntarenas: 50-150 m, 8.42.20N 83.31.30W, 10 August 1991, Reinaldo Aguilar 242 (MO).
Costa Rica Puntarenas: 200 m, 8.40N 83.34W, 3 June 1988, Barry Hammel G. Herrera, & M.M. Chavarría 17005 (MO).
Costa Rica Puntarenas: Faja Costeña de la Bahía de Coronado, 100-600 m, 09.13.00N 83.47.40W, 27 December 1992, Alvaro Fernandez 563 (CR).
Costa Rica Puntarenas: R.F. Golfo Dulce; Península de Osa, 100 m, 08.44.35N 83.35.25W, 24 June 1990, Gerardo Herrera 4252 (CR)
. Costa Rica Puntarenas: R.F. Golfo Dulce; Península de Osa, 200 m, 08.40N 83.34W, 11 September 1990, Barry Hammel, H. Kennedy & J. Solomon 17839 (CR).
Costa Rica Puntarenas: 110 m, 08.48.39N 83.16.18W, 10 September 1996, Thomas B. Croat & Dylan Hannon 79188 .
Costa Rica San José:, , Utley & Utley 4926 (DUKE).

El Salvador :Jardin Botanico, 800 m, 13.40N 89.15W, 8 July 1989, Villacorta & Martínez 302 (KYO, MO, OOM).

Panama :, 1974, Munich 382/74 (MO).
Panama Canal Area:, 05 Jul 1967, Stimson 5265 (FSU).
Panama Canal Area: < 25 m, 09.19.00N 79.57.30W, 20 June 1994, Thomas B. Croat & Guanghua Zhu 76277 (MO).
Panama CoclŽ: 150 m, 8.46N 80.27W, 11 Sept. 1987, Thomas B. Croat 67483 (MO).
Panama CoclŽ: 800 m, 8.43N 80.28W, 18 Dec. 1983, H.W. Churchill, A. Lier & W.S. Hambruster 4172 (MO).
Panama Col—n: 0 m,, 22 Mar. 1976, Thomas B. Croat 33564 (MO).
Panama Col—n: 200-300 m, 9.20N 79.47W, 1 Aug. 1983, James S. Miller & Leslie Miller 917 (MO).
Panama Col—n:, 22 Mar. 1976, Thomas B. Croat 33579 (MO).
Panama Darien: Cerro Sopa,, 18 May 1979, Hammel 7258A (MO).
Panama Darien: Cerro Sapo, 3600 ft.,, 1 Feb. 1978, Hammel 1163 (MO).
Panama Darien: Cerro Sapo, 1085 m,, 1 Feb. 1978, Hammel 1164 (MO).
Panama Darien: Cerro Sapo, 1085 m,, 1 Feb. 1978, Hammel 1165 (MO).
Panama Darien: Cerro Sapo, 1085 m,, 1 Feb. 1978, Hammel 1162 (MO).
Panama Panamá: 300 m,, 18 July 1976, Sullivan 439 (MO).
Panama Panamá: 1000 ft., 9.16N 78.58W, 22 Oct. 1980, Sytsma 1723 (MO).
Panama Panamá:, 28 Sept. 1972, Tyson 6840 (MO).
Panama Panamá: 325-350 m,, 17 07 1987, Croat 67371 (MO).
Panama Panamá: 09.15N 79.30W, 17 June 1994, Thomas B. Croat & Guanghua Zhu 76217 (MO, WU).
Panama Panamá: 400 m,, , Tyson & Nee 7353 (AAU).
Panama San Blas: Río Grande (Ukupseni), 100-150 m, 9.15N 78.15W, 1 Nov. 1991, Herrera et al. 1044A (MO).
Panama San Blas: 200 m, 9.19N 78.55W, 17 Jun 1986, G. de Nevers, H. Herrera, G. McPherson, B. D'Arcy & B. Allen 7840 (MO).
Panama San Blas: 30 m, 9.24N 79.24W, 27 March 1986, Greg de Nevers, H.Herrera & S.Charnely 7590 (MO).