Epiphytic shrub;  twigs terete, smooth, nitid, glabrous (glabrate in type collection) but with scattered spherical sessile glands to 0.2 mm diam.  Leaves elliptic, ovate, or ovate-lanceolate, (3.2-)4-6(-8.3) x (1.3-)2-3 cm, basally cuneate, or rarely rounded and short-attenuate, apically narrowly long-acuminate, acumen to 1 cm long and sharply acute at apex, margins entire but often appearing toothed due to tiny spherical glands to 0.2 mm diam. along the length (these glands often on upper surface of lamina), glabrous;  3-5-plinerved, midrib raised and thickened through proximal 5-8 mm otherwise impressed above and raised beneath, inner pair of lateral nerves arising from above base, raised or slightly impressed above and raised beneath, outer pair lateral nerves and reticulate veinlets raised but usually obscure on both surfaces;  petioles terete, rugose, 3.5-6 mm long and 0.6-1.5 mm diam., glabrous (glabrate in type collection), provided with spherical (often sunken) glands to 0.2 mm diam.  Inflorescence 5-8-flowered (to 12-flowered fide Smith, 1933) but flowers restricted to distal 1/2 or 1/3;  rachis subterete, bluntly angled, smooth, viscid, glabrous, 5.5-7.5 cm long and 1.2-2 mm in diam., provided with numerous subspherical globular glands 0.2-0.4 mm diam.;  floral bracts conspicuously reticulately veined, obovate, oblanceolate or rarely nearly semiorbicular, 25-35 x 12-28 mm (lower sterile ones smaller), basally cuneate, apically abruptly caudate-acuminate, acumen 5-6 mm long, bright red when fresh, marginally serrate with each tooth terminated by a spherical globular gland ca. 0.2 mm diam. (the glands greenish or whitish when fresh);  pedicels terete, bluntly angled, glabrous, 3-7 mm long, provided with subspherical globular glands at articulation with calyx;  bracteoles located midway along pedicel, oblong to lanceolate, 2-3 x 0.5-1 mm, marginally with subspherical to oblong globular glands often forming a continuous gland at tip.  Flowers:  calyx glabrous, 5.5-7 mm long;  hypanthium cylindric, weakly 10-ribbed, 2-2.5 mm long and 3-4.5 m diam., basally weakly but definitely apophysate, the apophysis margin undulate;  limb spreading-campanulate, sometimes drying slightly striate, 3.2-4.5 mm long and 7-10 mm diam. at apex;  lobes triangular 1-1.5 x 3.5 mm, erect after anthesis, each margin provided with an oblong callose gland, these contiguous at apex;  sinuses broadly rounded;  corolla cylindric, glabrous, 30-37 mm long, pale lilac to pale violet (fide label data) when fresh;  stamens subequal, 24-29.5 mm long (including Smith's 1933 measurements);  filaments marginally short-pilose, alternately 3-4 mm and ca. 9 mm long;  anthers alternately 18-27.5 mm and 13-22 mm long;  thecae 5-6.5 mm long;  style 29-36 mm long.  Immature berry 8 mm diam.

    Distribution (Map).  Endemic to Colombia, in the western slopes of the Cordillera Occidental in Valle and Chocó Depts., where the plants are epiphytes usually in dense forest along streams, at elevations fo 30-610 m.  Rare and endangered.