The genus Sanchezia, named after the Spanish botanist Sanchez, includes some 60 species distributed throughout Central and South America. S. nobilis began to be cultivated in Ecuador. The leaves are large, up to 30 cm (12 inch) long, with prominent yellow stripes along the veins. In this, it is very similar to Aphelandra squarrosa. Dense inflorescences of yellow flowers about 5 cm (2 inch) long appear at the ends of the stems. The bracts from the axils of which the flowers grow are also decorative; they may be as long as 4 cm (1.5 in) and are coloured a vivid red.