Terrestrial shrub from a single arching stem to 4 m tall;  seedlings with stems flexuous, finely short white pilose, the leaves elliptic, finely short white pilose on both surfaces;  mature branches conspicuously and persistently 5-winged (wings to 3 mm broad), smooth, glabrous, reddish-brown.  Leaves elliptic to ovate-elliptic, (8-)11-20(-23) x (4-)7-16(-19) cm, basally cordate and clasping, apically rounded, glabrous;  5(-9)-plinerved from base, nerves red beneath when fresh, midrib and inner 1(-2) pairs of lateral nerves conspicuously impressed above and raised beneath, outer 1-2 pairs of lateral nerves inconspicuously and slightly impressed to plane above but raised beneath;  veinlets inconspicuous on both surfaces;  petioles subterete, ovoid, rugose, 4-5 mm long and 5 mm in diam., glabrous, red when fresh.  Inflorescence paniculate, to 850-flowered;  primary rachis and lateral branches subterete, glabrous, green when living, primary rachis to 53 cm long and 6 mm in diam., primary lateral branches 20-28 cm long, secondary lateral branches ca. 13 cm long;  floral bracts caducous, cucullate, ovate, ca. 6 x 8-9 mm, basally clasping, apically rounded, glabrous, green tinged with red when fresh;  pedicels terete, striate, glabrous, 6-7 mm long at anthesis (elongating to 11-12 mm in fruit), ca. 1 mm in diam. but swollen to 1.5 mm at base, green when fresh;  bracteoles caducous, similar to the floral bracts but ca. 3 x 4 mm.  Flowers:  calyx glabrous, 4 mm long, green when fresh;  hypanthium cylindric, ca. 1.5 mm long and 4 mm in diam., basally slightly apophysate;  limb slightly spreading, ca. 2-2.5 mm long;  lobes ovate to hemispheric, apiculate, ca. 0.75 mm long, connivent after anthesis, marginally lacerate-glandular;  sinuses acute;  corolla bottle-shaped, glabrous, 13-14 mm long and 7 mm in diam., purplish-green with the purple pigment restricted to inner (morphologically lower) epidermal surface, lobes triangular, acute, 1.5 mm long, flaring at anthesis, white;  stamens 10-11 mm long;  filaments very sparsely pilose along margins distally, alternately ca. 2 mm and 2.8-3 mm long;  anthers subequal, 8.5-9 mm long;  thecae ca. 3 mm long;  style ca. 12 mm long.  Berry ca. 13 mm in diam.

    Distribution (Map).  Endemic to Colombia and known only from the type locality, where the plants were growing in constantly misty habitats along extremely steep disturbed roadside slopes through a cloud forest area, at 1890 m elevation. Rare and endangered.

    Uses.  This species, like C. divaricata, produces an abundance of large, sweet-tasting berries and with a little effort could become a locally important crop plant.