Terrestrial or epiphytic shrub with branches to 2 m;  stems subterete, bluntly or sometimes sharply angled, glabrous or pilose and glabrate, often with punctate or pustular scars from deciduous, short-stalked, stout, spherical glands.  Leaves ovate-elliptic, elliptic, oblong to obovate, (3.5-)7-14(-16) x (1.5-)3.5-8 cm, basally rounded, obtuse or broadly cuneate, apically acute, obtuse, or rounded often bluntly cuspidate, glabrous or rarely puberulent along veins on both surfaces, lower surface (sometimes more along veins) provided with deciduous, scattered, stout, glandular fimbriae with more or less capitate heads, these deciduous often leaving a punctate or pustular scar and when occurring along leaf margins they may appear weakly "dentate";  3-5-plinerved with inner pair of lateral nerves arising 1-2 cm above base, midrib and lateral nerves impressed above and conspicuously raised and carinate beneath, reticulate veinlets slightly impressed or raised above and raised beneath;  petioles subterete, rugose or ribbed, (2-)4-8(-16) mm long and 2-4 mm diam., glabrous or rarely short-pilose or hispid.  Inflorescence 15-25-flowered, encircled at base by numerous bracts which are subcoriaceous to thick membranaceous, smooth to striate, ovate, hemispheric, or oblong-obovate, to 60 x 35 mm;  glabrous or dorsally densely appressed short-pilose, marginally eglandular, ciliate and glandular-fimbriate, or with stalked glands proximally;  rachis congested or elongate, subterete to bluntly angled, glabrous or puberulent, 1.5-4(-5 fide Mansfeld) cm long and 4-6 mm in diam., proximal 5-10 mm peduncular, deep pink when living, often bearing stalked glands;  floral bracts conspicuously veined, oblong, spatulate to obovate, (25-)40-65 x (4-)15-30 mm, apically obtuse to rounded and then rarely emarginate, glabrous or dorsally puberulent, rose-pink to rose-red when living, marginally provided with subspherical, stalked (1.5-2 mm) glands usually over entire margin or rarely proximally on lowest bracts;  pedicels subterete, rubbed, glabrous, densely short-pilose, or hispid proximally and glabrous distally, (5-)8-14(-17) mm long and ca. 1.2 mm diam., deep rose-pink when fresh, provided with scattered stalked glands (stipe 0.3-1 mm long, subspherical head 0.1-0.2 mm diam.) sometimes restricted to distal tip, sometimes lacking;  bracteoles linear often appearing pinnatisect due to stalked glands, 3.5-7 x 0.3-1.5 mm, glabrous or hispid.  Flowers:  calyx glabrous to variously pubescent, (8-)10-12(-15.5) mm long, deep rose-pink when fresh;  hypanthium cylindric, 10-ribbed, 3-5(-10) mm long, basally apophysate with margin undulate, rarely nonapophysate, glabrous, puberulent, or hispid, also with none to few (rarely densely) stalked glands;  limb spreading, (4-)6-9 mm long, usually glabrous but sometimes hispid, rarely with a few stalked glands;  lobes oblong-triangular (rarely broadly triangular), obtuse to acute, (1.8-)3-5 mm long and 2-3 m, semierect after anthesis, glabrous, wealky hispid, or ciliate, each margin provided with an oblong, irregularly oblong, or pustular gland 0.5-1 mm long and also sometimes with 1-2 stalked glands;  sinuses obtuse;  corolla cylindric, glabrous, or puberulent, (16-)18-26(-28) mm long and 7-8 mm diam., when fresh basal half rose-pink, distal half with alternating longitudinal bands of rose-pink (opposite lobes) and maroon (opposite sinus), lobes oblong, obtuse, 2-2.5 mm long;  stamens 18-23 mm long;  filaments short-pilose on ventral surface, alternating 3-5.5 mm and 7-8.5 mm long;  anthers alternately 14.5-20.5 mm and 11.5-17 mm long;  thecae alternately 7-9.5 mm and 6-8 mm long;  style equal to corolla.  Berry at least 12 mm diam., edible.

    Distribution (Map).  Endemic to Colombia, where it is found in thick woodland, disturbed cloud forest, and on roadsides along the western slopes of the Cordillera Occidental in southern Chocó and Valle Depts., at elevations of 675-1990(-2800) m.

    Local names.  quereme rosa (Chocó), uvito (Valle), quereme (Valle).

    Uses.  In Valle local inhabitants have reported to me that the fruits are edible, and flowers are sold in the markets in Cali (Pérez-Arbeláez s.n.).  Killip 34759 notes that "boys present a branch of this [plant] to girls (and vice versa) to make them fall in love."  The beauty of this species is its undoing.  Local inhabitants and entrepreneurs uproot plants of C. adenophora, C. quereme, and C. tryphera, and then cut off the floriferous branch-tips for sale in Cali, leaving the uprooted plants to die.  These three species have very restricted ranges and are becoming progressively threatened and endangered.