Terrestrial or epiphytic shrub to 1 m tall;  mature branches terete, minutely striate, glabrous, yellowish- to dark burgundy-brown;  twigs flattened or bluntly angled, glabrous to weakly pilose, provided with scattered blackish sessile spherical glands.  Leaves elliptic to oblong-elliptic or rarely lance-elliptic, (5-)11-15(-19) x (2-)4-7.5 cm, basally obtuse to rounded rarely subcuneate, apically acuminate sometimes abruptly, glabrous above, weakly to densely spreading hirsute along nerves and weakly hirsute on lamina beneath, also with scattered reddish pustular glands, 0.1-0.2 mm in diam. along upper surface;  3(-5)-plinerved, midrib, lateral nerves, and primary veinlets impressed above, raised and conspicuous beneath, reticulate veinlets raised and conspicuous above, slightly raised and inconspicuous beneath;  petioles rugose, 3-6 mm long and 2-5 mm in diam., weakly to densely pilose.  Inflorescence 18-29-flowered, encircled at base by marginally puberulent bracts;  rachis terete, striate or ribbed, viscid, densely spreading hirsute, 6-8 cm long and 1.5-3 mm in diam., pinkish, with dark pink, sessile, globular glands scattered along length;  floral bracts oblong to obovate, (11-)18-26 x (4.5-)8-12 mm, basally narrowed and slightly auriculate, apically obtuse to rounded, marginally short-ciliate and glandular-fimbriate, dark pink, rarely with few to many minute, peltate, globular glands borne marginally and also on lamina;  pedicels swollen distally, striate, densely spreading hirsute, (7-)12-16 mm long and 1 mm in diam, pink, densely covered with globular- to disc-shaped glands distally;  bracteoles basal, ovate, 1-1.5 x 0.5-1 mm, slightly pubescent along lamina, especially along midrib abaxially, apically and marginally with globular- to disc-shaped callose glands.  Flowers:  calyx 4.5-5.5(-7.5) mm long;  hypanthium 1.5-2.5 mm long and 4-5.5 mm in diam., basally conspicuously apophysate with apophysis margin deeply 5-lobed, dark pink to red, with few to numerous, globular- to disc-shaped, peltate glands at base or around margin of apophysis;  limb cylindric-campanulate, basally pilose, 2.5-3.5(-5) mm long, pink;  lobes triangular, glabrous, 1 x 2 mm, erect after anthesis, completely glandular-callose, dark reddish-pink to purple;  sinuses flat;  corolla slightly swollen at base, sharply constricted at limb, very fleshy when fresh, pilose distally (18-)20-21.5 mm long and 6-7.5 mm in diam., 3.5 mm at constricted limb, pinkish-purple, whitened at base and limb, lobes reflexed at anthesis, 1.5 mm long;  stamens 14-15.5 mm long;  filaments distally strigose, alternately 2.5-3 mm and 4-5.5 mm long;  anthers alternately 12.5-13.5 mm and 10.5-11.5 mm long;  thecae 5-5.5 mm long;  style 20-21 mm long.  Berry not seen.

    Distribution (Map).  Endemic to Costa Rica; rare and known only from disturbed cloud forest in Cartago Prov., at elevations of 1400-1700 m.  Flowering material has been collected in May-July.  Rare and endangered.