Terrestrial or epiphytic shrub to 5 m tall;  mature branches subterete, smooth to slightly striate, glabrous;  twigs subterete or bluntly angled, striate or ridged, glabrous.  Leaves thin to thick coriaceous, lanceolate, elliptic, ovate- or oblong-elliptic, 6-17.5 x 2-6.5 cm, basally broadly cuneate or rounded, blade sometimes narrowly-attenuate along upper 1/3 of petiole then causing it to appear slightly winged, apically long-acuminate, glabrous;  5-7-plinerved from near base, midrib raised and thickened through proximal 1.5 cm, otherwise impressed above and prominent beneath, lateral nerves impressed or becoming plane distally above and prominent beneath, veinlets impressed or slightly elevated above and inconspicuous or conspicuously elevated beneath and then leaves appearing slightly bullate;  petioles subterete, flattened adaxially, rugose, 4-7(-13) mm long and 1-3 mm diam., glabrous.  Inflorescence (6-)8-30-flowered, circumscribed at the base by imbricate, coriaceous, smooth, glabrous to densely appressed pilose, broadly ovate to oblong-ovate bracts to 20 mm long;  rachis subterete, bluntly angled, rugose, glabrous, (1.5-)4-10 cm long (still in bud at tips) and 3-4 mm diam., nodes congested or widespread;  floral bracts chartaceous to membranaceous when dry, glabrous, oblong-elliptic, apically rounded, 20-36 x 16-25 mm, pink;  pedicels subcylindric, slightly rugose, glabrous, 3-10(-13) mm long and 1-2 mm diam.;  bracteoles basal, chartaceous, oblong or ovate-oblong, keeled, slightly auriculate, apically rounded, 4-8.5 x (1.5-)3-5 mm, marginally glandular-fimbriate and broadly scarious.  Flowers:  calyx glabrous, 7-15 mm long, pale green but tinged pink;  hypanthium cylindric or somewhat campanulate, slightly rugose, fimbriate, 1.5-3 mm long, basally rounded and nonapophysate but shallowly undulate;  limb cylindric somewhat spreading, 5.5-11 mm long, with scattered fimbriae;  lobes oblong, 3-8 x 1.5-4 mm, apically rounded and apiculate, separate at anthesis but imbricate in bud and after anthesis when the lobes remain erect but curl around base of style, marginally undulate and glandular-fimbriate, widely scarious;  corolla cylindric or bottle-shaped, slightly carnose, 18-31 mm long and ca. 5-7 mm diam., glabrous, dark pink to red but tipped white, lobes deltoid, widely flaring at anthesis, ca. 1-1.5 mm long;  stamens 14.5-22 mm long;  filaments glabrous or densely short-pilose ventrally in distal half, alternately 2.5-5 mm or 5.5-10 mm long;  anthers alternately 13-18 mm or 11-14 mm long;  thecae 4-6 mm long;  style 17-32 mm long.  Mature berry not seen.

    Distribution (Map).  Endemic to Chiriquí Prov., Panama, where it is found in montane cloud forest, at elevations of 1100-2200 m.