Terrestrial or epiphytic shrub with branches to 1 m long;  stem base to 2.5 cm in diam.;  mature branches terete, minutely striate, glabrous;  bark brown;  twigs subterete or bluntly angled, minutely striate, glabrous, light brown to reddish-brown;  twigs and mature branches with scattered, subsessile, peltate, globular glands to 0.4 mm in diam., most dense about the nodes and on youngest branches.  Leaves elliptic to lance-elliptic, 4-9 x 1-3 cm, basally cuneate, apically long caudate-acuminate often abruptly, acumen 1.5-2 cm long, glabrous except along base of midrib adaxially which is short-hirsute but soon glabrate, adaxial surface and margins of mature leaves with scattered, reddish pustular glands, 0.1-0.2 mm in diam., these soon caducous leaving a reddish or blackish papillate scar;  5-plinerved, midrib and inner pair of lateral nerves deeply impressed above and prominently raised beneath causing leaves to be bullate, outer pair of lateral nerves impressed proximally becoming slighlty raised and anastomosing with veinlets distally above, slightly raised proximally then becoming obscure distally beneath;  petioles subterete flattened adaxially, rugose, (4-)6-7(-10) mm long and 0.5-1 mm in diam., short-hirsute when young but glabrate at maturity.  Inflorescence open and loosely flowered with 4-7(-10) flowers, the lowest several nodes sterile, floral internodes (8-)9-13(-19) mm long;  rachis bluntly angled, ridged, nitid, glabrous, 4-9(-15) cm long and 1-1.5 mm in diam., grass-green when fresh, with scattered, globular glands especially proximally;  floral bracts lance-eliptic to oblong-lanceolate, 5-plinerved, muricate, 7-11(-16) x 2-5 mm, basally narrowed and clasping, apically acuminate, pale green, marginally ciliate and with numerous, red, sessile, globular glands to 0.2 mm in diam.;  pedicels terete, swollen distally, striate, glabrous, (14-)19-25 mm long and 1 mm in diam., grass-green, with globular glands at swollen distal tips;  bracteoles basal, broadly oval to semiorbicular, strongly reflexed and revolute, 1-4 mm long and broad, basally clasping, apically broadly rounded, ciliate- and glandular-margined as floral bracts, green.  Flowers:  calyx glabrous, 4-6 mm long, green or green suffused with purple;  hypanthium short-cylindric, 10-ribbed, 1.5-2 mm long and 3-4.5 mm in diam. at apophysate base, margins of apophysis weakly undulate, turned upwards and provided along edge with globular glands which secrete a milky, viscid latex especially when young;  limb erect, or wide-spreading to campanulate, smooth to slightly rugose, eglandular, 2.5-4 mm long;  lobes broadly triangular, (0.5-)1(-1.5) mm long, erect after anthesis, each side provided with a pale green, oblong, callose gland with these nearly contiguous or contiguous at apex of lobe;  sinuses broadly rounded to flat, thinner in texture than limb;  corolla slightly constricted basally, constricted to a short throat distally, when immature apically broadly shouldered and nippled prior to anthesis, at maturity corolla thick and fleshy with walls 1.5-2 mm thick, but drying thin and membranaceous, 19-29 mm long and ca. 9.5 mm in diam., glabrous, green in bud, greenish-red at maturity, lobes ca. 0.5 mm long;  stamens 15-20 mm long;  filaments alternately 3.5-4.5 mm and 6.5-7.5 mm long;  anthers alternately 12.5-17 mm and 10-14 mm long, maroon to orangish-brown;  thecae 2.5-5 mm long;  style 21.5-26 mm long.  Berry not seen.

    Distribution (Map).  Endemic to Costa Rica;  very rare, in the cloud forest of the Cordillera Tilarán in Alajuela and Puntarenas Provs., at elevations of 1200-1840 m.  Flowering material has been collected in May-June and October. Rare and endangered.