Epiphytic and terrestrial shrubs ca. 1.5 m tall;  stem base to 2 cm in diameter;  mature branches terete or obtusely angled, smooth or minutely  striate, glabrate, green or brown when fresh but drying tan or reddish-brown;  immature branches and new twigs terete, obtusely angled or conspicuously flattened, minutely striate, glabrate or densely short-pilose.  Leaves linear, linear-lanceolate or elliptic-lanceolate, averaging 5-6 times longer than wide, (4.5-)7.5-12(-14.5) x (0.5-)1-2(-2.5) cm, basally narrowing, rounded and usually slightly cordate, apically long attentuate to an ultimately blunt tip, reddish- to olive-brown when dry, glabrous, marginally usually strongly revolute, rarely flat;  pinnately nerved, the lowest primary nerves sometimes arcuate to about the middle then anastomosing with the remaining veins forming a collective nerve which extends to the apex, the midrib deeply impressed above and conspicuously riased beneath, the lateral nerves and the veinlets raised and conspicuous above, slightly riased but obscure beneath;  petioles subterete, rugose and often longitudinally ribbed, 3.5-6.5(-9) mm long and 1-2.5 mm in diam., densely short pilose adaxially, becoming glabrate.  Inflorescence solitary or rarely two in terminal axils, 8-28-flowered, the lowest 3-8 nodes usually sterile, viscid;  rachis conspicuously bluntly angled, minutely striate, glabrous, purple, 5.5-13 cm long and 1-2.5 mm in diam.;  floral bracts conspicuously nerved, glabrous, concave or hood-shaped, ovate, 3-6.5 x 2.5-4.5 mm, basally rounded and truncate, somewhat auriculate, apically acute or obtuse, the distal 2/3 of the margin callose-thickened, dark purple with greenish tinge;  pedicels subterete, striate, apically swollen, glabrous, 11-18(-24) mm long and 0.5-1(-1.5) mm in diam., dark purple;  bracteoles positioned one-third to halfway up the pedicel, conspicuously nerved, glabrous, concave, ovate, 1.5-2.5(-3) x (0.5-)1.5-(-3) mm, basally continuous (not articulated) with the tissue of the pedicel, apically acute, the distal 2/3 to 1/2 glandularly callose-thickened, dark purplish-green.  Flowers with the calyx glabrous, (5-)6-7(-8) mm long, sometimes slightly stipitate;  hypanthium cylindric, rugose and ribbed, the surface often muricate, (1.5-)2-3(-4.5) mm long, basally strongly apophysate and deeply lobed, green when immature, dark purple at anthesis but turning greenish after anthesis;  limb cylindric or spreading, rarely campanulate, ribbed, (2-)4-4.5(-5.5) mm long including the lobes;  lobes triangular, 1-1.5(-2) x (1.5-)2-2.5(-3) mm, erect after anthesis, completely callose-thickened or the margins rarely slightly thinner than the main body, purple;  sinuses obtuse to broadly rounded;  corolla slightly constricted basally, narrowed at the throat, outside densely short-pubescent, the trichomes usually white, 0.2-0.4 mm long, rarely glabrous, sparsely pilose within, (16-)18-21.5(-22) mm long and 4-8 mm in diam., pale purple at the constricted base, purple above, the lobes triangular, 1-1.5 mm long, glabrous, reflexed at anthesis often exposing the tips of the anthers;  stamens 15.5-19.5 mm long;  filaments alternately 2-3.5 mm and 5-7.5 mm long, white, with medially pilose long filaments and distally pilose short filaments, sometimes glabrous;  anthers including the tubules alternately 12.5-14.5 mm and 15.5-18 mm long, orange;  thecae alternately 4-5.5 mm and 5.5-6.5 mm long;  style sigmoid, exserted at anthesis, green.  Berry glabrous, 12-15 mm in diam.

    Distribution (Map).  Endemic to central Panama, where it occurs from 700-1000 m elevation.  Rare and endangered.