Terrestrial or epiphytic shrub with stems to 3 m long;  mature branches terete, smooth, somewhat nitid glabrous, reddish-brown;  twigs terete, subterete, or bluntly angled and ribbed, glabrous, reddish-brown;  vegetative bracts subtending current season's growth coriaceous, often persistent for several years.  Leaves elliptic or oblong-elliptic, 12-20.5 x 5.5-10(-12.5) cm, basally rounded or obtuse often bluntly short-attenuate, apically acuminate or rather abruptly short-caudate-acuminate, glabrous;  3-5(-7)-plinerved from near base, midrib thickened and raised through proximal 0.5-1.5 cm otherwise impressed above and raised beneath, lateral nerves impressed above and raised beneath, reticulate veinlets impressed or plane above and raised beneath;  petiole terete or sometimes adaxially flattened and slightly broadened distally, minutely rugose, 8-12(-15) mm long and 2.5-3.5(-5) mm diam.  Inflorescence 3-12-flowered, encircled at base by bracts which are subcoriaceous, erect and appressed to flowers at anthesis, ovate to obovate, apically broadly rounded, 40 x 30 mm, green when fresh;  rachis obscured by these bracts, congested, glabrous, 1-2 cm long and 2.5-3.5 mm diam.;  floral bracts erect and appressed, oblong to obovate, 28-46 x 23-30 mm, apically rounded and emarginate, glabrous but dorsally provided with glandular fimbriae, red at anthesis;  pedicels subterete, striate, glabrous, 8-15 mm long;  bracteoles ± basal, oblong, 4.5-9 x 2-3 mm, marginally glandular-fimbriate with fimbriae sometimes fusing distally.  Flowers:  calyx glabrous, 10.5-13 mm long, translucent green when fresh;  hypanthium cylindric, rugose, 4-6 mm long, basally apophysate with a rim 1-2 mm long produced below articulation thus enveloping distal portion of pedicel;  limb erecto-patent to campanulate at anthesis but somewhat connivent thereafter, 6.5-7 mm long, tinged with red when fresh;  lobes deltoid, 1.5-2 x 3.5 mm, subconnivent and twisting around style base after anthesis, charged with thin supramarginal undulate or irregularly oblong glands to 1.8 mm long;  sinuses rounded;  corolla cylindric, glabrous, 33-38 mm long and 10-11 mm diam., waxy-red when fresh, lobes oblong-deltoid, ca. 1 mm long;  stamens 24.5-31.5 mm long;  filaments glabrous or weakly short-pilose ventrally, alternately 2.7-4.8 mm and 8.2-9 mm long;  anthers alternately 22-29 mm and 17.7-23.5  mm long;  thecae alternately 7.5-10.5  mm and 6.5-9.5 mm long;  style 33-38 mm long.  Mature berry  not seen.

    Distribution (Map).  Endemic to Colombia, where it is known only from central Valle Dept. at the border with Chocó.  The plant grows in cloud forest, along steep roadcut slopes through disturbed cloud forest, and in roadside thickets, at elevations of 1300-2100 m.  Rare and endangered.