Hemiepiphytic shrub with stems to 1.5 m long, glabrous throughout (except filaments);  mature branches terete, striate, somewhat nitid, dark reddish-brown to blackish;  twigs bluntly angled, striate, reddish-brown;  vegetative bracts persistent at bases of current season's growth.  Leaves thick coriaceous, lance-elliptic or ovate-lanceolate, (10.5-)16-21 x (4-)5-8 cm, basally rounded or broadly obtuse, apically acuminate;  5(-7)-plinerved, midrib very thick and conspicuously raised through proximal 2.5-4 cm otherwise impressed above, inner pair of lateral nerves arising 2.5-4 cm above base, all lateral nerves impressed above and with midrib conspicuously raised and prominent beneath, veinlets obscure but slightly raised on both surfaces;  petioles terete, rugose, 12-24 mm long and 3-4 mm diam.  Inflorescence (8-)12-20-flowered;  rachis subterete, bluntly angled, conspicuously striate, nodes swollen and conspicuous, (2.5-)5-9 cm long and 2-4 mm diam.;  floral bracts oblong, apically rounded, ca. 30 x 15 mm, pink to pale red when fresh;  pedicels cylindric, striate, 14-15 mm long and ca. 2 mm diam. at anthesis;  bracteoles basal, oblong, 3-4 x 1-1.5 mm, marginally glandular-fimbriate.  Flowers:  calyx 9-10.5 mm long;  hypanthium subcylindric to campanulate, pentagonal, 3-4 mm long, basally truncate and nonapophysate but slightly extended;  limb erect, slightly fimbriate, 6-7 mm long;  lobes triangular, 2.5-4 x 2.5-3 mm, marginally glandular-fimbriate, semierect but curling around base of style after antheseis;  sinuses broadly obtuse;  corolla cylindric, 26-27 mm long, white or pink to red then tipped with white, lobes deltoid, ca. 1 mm long;  stamens ca. 25 mm long;  filaments pilose ventrally, the long ones in the distal 1/2, the short ones in the distal 1/4, alternately ca. 6 mm and 10.5 mm long;  anthers alternately ca. 21 mm and 16.5 mm long;  thecae ca. 8 mm long.  Mature berry not seen.

    Distribution (Map).  Endemic to Panama, and known only from the type locality, in cloud forest along the continental divide, at elevations of 750-1300 m.  Rare and endangered.