Epiphytic shrub to 1 m tall, glabrous throughout;  stem base to 1.5 cm in diameter;  branches terete or subterete, smooth or somewhat striate when immature, reddish brown, bark reddish or grayish brown.  Leaves elliptic or ovate elliptic, (3.5-)5-11.5 x  2-7 cm, basally rounded or somewhat subcordate, apically acute or broadly obtuse, dull olive brown and shining when dry;  inconspicuously 3-5(-7)-plinerved, the midrib impressed above, raised beneath, prominent on both the surfaces, the primary lateral nerves thin, raised on both the surfaces, far removed from the midrib, the secondary nerves thick, raised and conspicuous above causing the leaf to appear pinnately veined;  petioles terete, rugose, 1-4 mm long and 1-3 mm in diam.  Inflorescences tightly congested racemes, 8-16-flowered, basally encircled by striate bracts;  rachis bluntly angled, smooth or striate, often muricate, 1.5-4 cm long and ca. 2 mm in diam. at anthesis, elongating to 6 cm in the fruit;  floral bracts conspicuously striate, concave, elliptic, ovate, elliptic or obovate, rarely semiorbicular, (13-)15-20 mm long (6-)8-12(-18) mm wide, basally rounded to truncate, slightly auriculate, apically acute, sometimes broadly so, the margins often so tightly revolute that the bracts appear sharply acuminate, rose or salmon pink or pale green with a pinkish hue, marginally glandular fimbriate, the fimbriae early caducous, the bracts persisting as the berry matures;  pedicels subterete, 1-1.5(-3) mm long and 1-1.5 mm diam.;  bracteoles striate, concave basally, ovate lanceolate or oblong, 11-13(-17) x (3-)5-7 mm, apically rounded or acute, marginally glandular fimbriate, tightly imbricate in bud, completely enclosing the calyx, often persistent in fruit.  Flowers with the calyx 8-12(-15) mm long, pink;  hypanthium barrel-shaped or globose at anthesis, smooth or slightly rugose, not enlarged, 2-4.5(-5) mm long, 2-4 mm in diam.;  limb cylindric, striate, (3.5-)5-7(-9) mm long including the lobes;  lobes triangular or nearly oblong, acute, or apiculate, 1.5-2 mm long and broad, erect after anthesis, marginally glandular fimbriate and slightly scarious;  sinuses acute to obtuse;  corolla tubular, slightly wider medially, conspicuously striate, 11.5-16 mm long and 3.5-4 mm diam., pale green with a yellow tip, the lobes oblong, bluntly acute, 2-3.5 mm long, slightly thickened at the tip, erect at anthesis;  stamens 9.5-13 mm long;  filaments coherent at base, distally pubescent, alternately 2.5-4 mm and 3.5-5 mm long;  anthers including the tubules alternately 7-10.5 mm and 8.5-12 mm long;  thecae 2-3.5 mm long;  style 11.5-14.5 mm long.  Berry 15 mm diam.

    Distribution (Map).  Endemic to central Panama, being found between 200-1000 m elevation.

    Cultivated at E, HEID, NY.