Epiphytic shrub;  stem glabrate;  twigs densely short white pilose or glabrate;  vegetative bracts persistent for at least one season, surrounding the branches.  Leaves bullate, lanceolate, elliptic-lanceolate to oblong-elliptic, (10.5-)15-24.5 x (3-)4-9 cm, base obtuse or rounded, apex short-acuminate, margin slightly revolute, moderately short-pilose above, densely pilose beneath with hairs ca. 0.8 m long;  5(-7)-plinerved with inner pair of lateral nerves arising 1.5-2.5 cm above base, midrib thickened and raised through proximal 1.5-2.5 cm otherwise strongly impressed above, lateral nerves strongly impressed above, reticulate veinlets slightly impressed or raised above, all veins raised beneath;  petiole 5-15 mm long, densely short-pilose.  Inflorescence 12-24-flowered, surrounded at base by numerous subcoriaceous, ovate to obovate bracts, the outermost densely appressed pilose, the inner pilose only at distal tips;  rachis subterete, bluntly angled, congested, glabrous, 3 cm long, sometimes with flattened glandular fimbriae at base;  floral bracts subcoriaceous, erect, appressed to and concealing calyx at anthesis, muricate, oblong-obovate, rarely suborbicular, 15-21 mm x 12-15 mm, glabrous but sometimes ciliate towards apex and sometimes with inconspicuous glandular fimbriae on dorsal surface, pink to red;  pedicel 1.5-3.5 mm long, glabrous or weakly short-pilose, glandular-fimbriate;  bracteoles basal, clasping calyx at anthesis, oblanceolate, oblong, 10-13(-16) x 3-5(-6.5) mm, margin glandular-fimbriate, sometimes ciliate, lamina sometimes with scattered glandular fimbriae.  Flowers with calyx 13-16 mm long;  hypanthium cylindric or barrel-shaped, 10-ribbed, 3-4 mm long, base nonapophysate, densely pilose with white hairs 0.4-0.7 mm long, with scattered glandular fimbriae;  limb erect, 10.5-12 mm long;  lobes erect or slightly spreading, oblong, basally imbricate, 9-10 mm long, erect after anthesis but curling around style base, ciliate, glandular-fimbriate;  corolla more or less chartaceous the proximal half and leathery the distal half, 16-17 mm long, cylindric but narrowing to throat where it is slightly and obtusely angled opposite the lobes, on these angles weakly pilose otherwise glabrous, pink, the lobes spreading at anthesis, ca. 1.5-2 mm long;  stamen ca. 15 mm long;  filaments alternately ca. 4 mm and 7 mm long, glabrous lower half but short-pilose upper half;  anthers alternately ca. 12 mm and 10 mm long;  thecae 4-5 mm long;  tubules 6-8 mm long;  style ca. 17 mm long.  Berry 10-12 mm diam., pilose, capped by persistent calyx lobes, lavender.

    Distribution (Map).  Endemic to Ecuador;  wet montane forest edge at 900-1600(-3325 ?) m altitude.  Rare and endangered.