Perennial of the Calceolariaceae family, native to the Andes of Chile and Peru, where it grows on rocky and grassy slopes at altitude, generally between 1,500 and 3,000 meters.
It forms a basal rosette of large oval leaves, wrinkled, of a deep green, with very marked veins and slightly hairy to the touch. From this rosette rise slender and branched floral stems, reaching 20 to 35 cm, bearing the flowers in loose and airy cymes, contrasting with the dense and earthy character of the foliage.
The flowers, typically bilabiate, are of a bright and luminous yellow. The upper lip forms a small rounded helmet while the lower lip, very swollen in the characteristic pouch of the genus, bears inside fine brown-red speckles that guide pollinators towards the throat. This detail, visible up close, is one of the most charming features of the species.
In its natural habitat, its flowering extends from November to February (austral summer). In cultivation under temperate climate, it blooms from May to July.
Its hardiness is estimated up to about -10 to -15°C in perfectly drained conditions, as stagnant winter humidity is much more unfavorable to it than cold alone. It requires very draining soil, exposure to full sun or slight partial shade, and is particularly suitable for cultivation in mountain rock gardens, in troughs or in culture boxes under glass shelter in winter.