Hanguana malayana or locally known as bakong ayer in Malay is a large perennial rhizomatous herb (Nurfazilah et al., 2010). It grows in open lowland areas in sunny but wet habitats, such as along muddy banks of large rivers, on the margin of freshwater bodies or in freshwater swamp forest from near sea level to 100 m altitudes. H.malayana is a helophyte, a type of plants that grow in marshes, partly submerged in water, so that they grow from buds below the water surface.

The species can be recognised by its giant leaves that are about 1-2 m tall which arise from runners in the waterlogged mud. The leaves are stiffly erect, sword-like, medium to dark green and flat to shallowly V-shaped with a sharply acute margin. The flowers are produced on an extensively branched terminal inflorescence with spike-like partial inflorescences, sometimes whorled. Like other monocotyledons, the flowers have six green or yellowish sepals. Nectar secretion occurs in both male and female flowers indicating insect pollination. The fruits of H. malayana are ellipsoid and when ripe are dark shining purple-red.