Terrestrial and epiphytic shrubs, 0.5-2 m tall;  stem base to 8 cm in diameter;  mature branches terete or subterete, minutely striate, densely puberulent, becoming glabrate, green or often with a tinge of maroon but drying reddish brown;  bark grayish or dark brown but drying grayish;  immature branches and twigs of the new growth subterete or bluntly angled, sometimes conspicuously striate, usually densely short pilose with grayish or whitish trichomes.  Leaves oblong, oblong-ovate or ovate, 2.5-7.5 x (1-)1.5-3.5 cm, basally rounded and subcordate, the sinus often as long as the petiole, leaves hence appearing sessile and somewhat clasping, apically rounded, obtuse, or often subacute in the young leaves or the leaves produced at end of the season, green to metallic blue green when dry, usually densely short-pilose on both surfaces along the leaf margins, the midrib, and the lateral nerves when young, the pubescence usually persistent only on the upper surface;  3-5(-7)-plinerved with the lateral nerves often arising well above the base thus the leaves sometimes appearing pinnate distally, midrib and lateral nerves slightly impressed above, conspicuously raised beneath, the lateral nerves sometimes slightly raised above, the veinlets impressed, plane or raised above and usually slightly raised but inconspicuous beneath;  petioles subterete and often flattened adaxially, often coarsely rugose, (1-)2-4(-6) mm long and 1.5-2 mm in diam., dark reddish-brown when dry, densely short, white puberulent, often becoming glabrate.  Inflorescence 12-20(-53)-flowered;  rachis obtusely angled, frequently muricate, glabrous or densely hirsute, 2-12 cm long, 2-3 mm in diameter at the base, dark pink but turning greenish at anthesis;  floral bracts glabrous or marginally short ciliate, smooth or rarely ribbed when dry, commonly marginally glandular fimbriate, the fimbriae often caducous, oblong or oblong elliptic, basally rounded and often somewhat clasping, apically obtuse or rounded, (9.5-)11-18(-23) x 6-10(-13) mm, red;  pedicels subterete, often angled, striate and rugose, swollen at both ends, sparsely to densely hirsute or rarely glabrate, (6.5-)10-14(-18) mm long and 0.5-2 mm in diam., dark pink but turning greenish at anthesis;  bracteoles oblong or oblong ovate, 1-3(-5.5) x 0.5-1(-2.5) mm, densely marginally glandular fimbriate, glabrous or ciliate or apically short pilose.  Flowers with the calyx sparsely to densely hirsute, rarely glabrous, (5.5-)6-8(-9) mm long;  hypanthium short-cylindric, often 5-ribbed, rugose, 1.5-2.5(-3) mm long, basally apophysate, the enlargement conspicuous and diverging almost at right angles, marginally undulate or only slightly lobed, dark purplish pink but turning greenish at anthesis;  limb cylindric, erect spreading or rarely campanulate, smooth to rugose or sometimes ribbed, (3.5-)4-6(-6.5) mm long including the lobes, red basally and green above but totally red at anthesis;  lobes narrowly or sometimes broadly triangular, 1-2.5 x 1.5-3 mm, erect after anthesis, marginally short-ciliate and provided along each side of the lobe with 3-5 stout, callose-thickened, glandular fimbriae, these rarely fusing into one oblong, concave gland to 0.5 mm long;  sinuses broadly rounded and ciliate;  corolla slightly constricted and glabrous basally, densely pilose distally, rarely glabrous, (8.5-)11.5-15(-17.5) mm long and 2.5-4.5 mm in diam., the tube pale pinkish basally, pale green above, the limb and the lobes whitish to pinkish-green, the lobes oblong, obtuse, to ca. 2 mm long, erect or slightly spreading at anthesis;  stamens 8-15 mm long;  filaments pilose distally, alternately either 2-5 mm or 3-8 mm long, pink basally, white above;  anthers including tubules alternately 5-9.5 mm and 6.5-12 mm long, orange;  thecae 1-4 mm long;  style 9-16 mm long.  Berry 9-10 mm in diam.

    Distribution (Map).  Costa Rica and Panama, in cloud forest, at elevations of 1050-2300 m.