In addition to there being several different cultivars of tovariana, this species can also look very different depending on growth conditions. In cooler temperatures, it will sometimes grow leaf hairs, whereas in warmer, more frog suitable conditions it retains no visible hairs. Bumpiness also seems to be a quality this plant displays in some growing conditions and not others. Tovariana can be very distinctly marked with a prominent white central leaf stripe, or rather uniform with hardly any white at all. Some cultivars can be intensely red between leaf venation. The stem is typically pale green, and new growth can range from red to yellow. It occurs in Peru and Colombia and perhaps other places.