Terrestrial shrub to 2.5 m tall;  mature branches and twigs subterete, bluntly angled, striate, glabrate to pilose-hispid with reddish-brown or white hairs to 1 mm long, stems tan to reddish-brown, sometimes glaucous.  Leaves oblong, elliptic, lance-elliptic or ovate, 7-16(-24) x 3-5.5(-9) cm, basally subcordate, apically long-acuminate sometimes abruptly acuminate, puberulous with hairs to 0.3 mm long or glabrate above, glabrous or persistently pilose-hispid beneath with hairs to 0.7 mm long, glandular fimbriae conspicuously persistent beneath;  5(-7)-plinerved, midrib conspicuously thickened and raised through proximal 1-2.5 cm, otherwise impressed above and raised beneath, lateral nerves slighlty impressed above but raised and prominent beneath, veinlets slightly raised and conspicuous on both surfaces;  petioles terete, rugose, (4-)7-10 mm long and 1.2-2.5 mm diam., densely pilose when young but glabrate at maturity.  Inflorescence 20-30-flowered;  rachis bluntly angled, smooth or slightly striate, glabrous, 6-12 cm long and 3-4 mm diam.;  floral bracts smooth, oblong or oblanceolate, 22-35 x 17-20 mm, basally obtuse, apically rounded to obtuse rarely callose-apiculate, glabrous, dark red to wine-purple;  pedicels swollen distally, striate, glabrous, 6-12 mm long and 1 mm diam.;  bracteoles basal, ovate-elliptic, oblong, or broadly elliptic, 2-5 x 2-3 mm, apically acute or cuspidate, glandular-callose only at tip.  Flowers:  calyx glabrous, 7-8 mm long;  hypanthium short-cylindric, rugose, coarsely ribbed, muricate, 2.5-3.5 mm long, basally strongly apophysate and deeply 5-lobed;  limb erect, cylindric, striate, rugose, 4.5 mm long;  lobes broadly triangular, acute, 1.5-2 mm long, erect after anthesis, completely glandular-callose;  sinuses obtuse;  corolla cylindric, 22-30 mm long and 4.5-5 mm diam., glabrous, white (fide label of type), lobes triangular, subacute, 1-1.5 mm long, tips glandular-callose;  stamens 20-27 mm long;  filaments weakly short-pilose distal half ventrally or the short ones glabrous, alternately 2-2.5 mm and 5-8 mm long;  anthers alternately 19.5-26 mm and 13-21 mm long;  thecae 6-11 mm long;  style 19-26 mm long.  Mature berry not seen.

    Distribution (Map).  Endemic to NW Colombia, where it occurs along disturbed roadside slopes and rocky stream banks, in the Cordillera Occidental of Chocó and Risaralda Depts., and in the Cordillera Central of Antioquia Dept., at elevations of 2160-2800 m.