Terrestrial shrub to 3 m tall, glabrous throughout;  stem base 2.5-5 cm in diam.;  mature branches terete, pendant, tan or reddish;  twigs terete or bluntly angled, minutely striate, tan.  Leaves oblong, ovate-elliptic, or oblong-elliptic, (8-)10-15(-20) x (3-)3.5-5-(-7) cm, basally rounded or obtuse, rarely subcordate, apically acuminate;  5(-7)-plinerved, midrib impressed above and raised beneath, lateral nerves impressed above but outer ones becoming plane distally, raised beneath, veinlets raised and conspicuous above, slightly raised but obscure beneath;  petioles subterete, slightly rugose, 6-10 mm long and 1.5-2.5 mm in diam.  Inflorescence cylindric with 13-32 tightly congested, imbricate flowers, encircled at base by few, early caducous bracts;  rachis coarsely angled, minutely striate, 3-6.5 cm long, green when fresh but drying tan;  floral bracts smooth, tightly appressed to and covering calyx and lower half of corolla at anthesis, persisting to fruit, concave, semiorbicular to broadly oval, 10-17 x 11-15 mm, basally truncate, apically rounded or acute, marginally scarious and glandular-fimbriate these soon caducous, glabrous but with few, minute, scattered, redddish, glandular fimbriae adaxially, pink to dark red;  pedicels swollen at both ends, 2 mm long at anthesis (lengthening to 6 mm long after anthesis) and 1.5-3 mm in diam., with cartilaginous teeth at distal tip, green when fresh but drying tan;  bracteoles basal, often keeled, slightly imbricate at base, clasping lower half of hypanthium, oblong to subrotund, 4.5-5 x (3-)4-6 mm at anthesis becoming to 8 x 9 mm prior to fruiting, basally truncate and somewhat auriculate, apically rounded and often apiculate, marginally glandular-fimbriate, pink to dark red.  Flowers:  calyx 7-9.5 mm long at anthesis, green when fresh, with scattered minute, reddish, glandular fimbriae;  hypanthium obconic to hemispheric, bluntly 5-angled, slightly rugose, 2.5-3 mm long, nonapophysate;  limb erect or spreading, 4-6.5 mm olong;  lobes basally imbricate, oblong, 3-5.5 x 3-5 mm, connivent and tightly enclosing style after anthesis, apically rounded or emarginate and usually apiculate, margins scarious bearing caducous glandular fimbriae, pink when fresh;  corolla bottle-shaped, swollen basally but narrowed to throat, 13-17 mm long and ca. 8 mm in diam. at broadest point, dark pink basally and white apically, lobes oblong or triangular, 1.5 x 1 mm, white;  stamens 9.5-11 mm long;  filaments alternately 2-3 mm and 3.5-5 mm long;  anthers alternately 8-9 mm and 7-8 mm long;  thecae 2.5-3.5 mm long;  style 14-15 mm long.  Mature berry not seen.

    Distribution (Map).  Endemic to Costa Rica, to a small area of the Cordillera de Talamanca north of the General Valley (San José Prov.), in roadside thickets, at elevations of 1580-1900 m.