Terrestrial or epiphytic shrub with stems to 3 m long;  mature branches terete, glabrous, stramineous but minutely red muricate;  twigs subterete, complanate, more or less striate, densely short-hirsute with light reddish-brown trichomes.  Leaves bullate, elliptic, (10-)12-22 x 4-9 cm, basally obtuse or rounded, apically long- and narrow-acuminate, glabrate along nerves above but hirsute especially along nerves beneath;  7(-9)-plinerved, midrib thickened and raised through proximal 1-2.5 cm otherwise impressed, lateral nerves and veinlets impressed above and raised beneath;  petiole terete, rugose, 8-13 mm long and 1.5-2.5 mm diam., densely short-pilose.  Inflorescence axillary (often in axils of fallen leaves on older stems), 15-25(-35)-flowered;  rachis subterete, striate, 6.5-13(-21) cm long and 1.5-2(-2.5) mm diam., glaucous, densely hirsute with light reddish-brown trichomes;  floral bracts strongly 5-ribbed, lanceolate or lance-elliptic, 13-20 x 4-5 mm, apically acuminate, green with purplish margins when fresh, ciliate, densely hirsute dorsally;  pedicels subterete, striate, densely hirsute, 8-9(-13) mm long and ca. 0.6 mm diam.;  bracteoles basal, membranaceous, oblong-elliptic or somewhat lanceolate, 3-5 x 1-2 mm, ciliate, hirsute dorsally along prominent midrib.  Flowers:  calyx hirsute, 7-11 mm long;  hypanthium cylindric, 2-3 mm long and 6-7 mm diam., basally apophysate with apophysis margin smooth and directed in the plane of or perpendicular to calyx axis, with few scattered glandular fimbriae, pale green when fresh;  limb cylindric when fresh but spreading when dry, 5-8 mm long, with few scattered glandular fimbriae, purple when fresh;  lobes oblong-triangular, obtuse, 2.5-5 mm long, erect after anthesis, ciliate, eglandular;  sinuses rounded;  corolla cylindric-urceolate, 9-12 mm long and 5-8 mm diam. at middle, fleshy with wall 1.8 mm thick at middle, densely appressed short-pilose, dark wine-red when fresh, outer epidermal layer sparsely pigmented, inner heavily pigmented, lobes oblong-triangular, obtuse, ca. 1.5 mm long, pale wine-red when fresh;  stamens 7-9 mm long;  filaments connate basal 1.5 mm, long-ciliate and densely pilose distal half of ventral surface, glabrous or sparsely pilose along central portion of dorsal surface, alternately 1.5 mm and ca. 3.5 mm long;  anthers alternately 7-9 mm and 5-6 mm long;  thecae 2-3 mm long;  style subequal to corolla.  Berry not seen.

    Distribution (Map).  Endemic to Colombia and known only from two collections, in Parque Nacional Munchique NE of Uribe, in cloud forest, at elevations of 1875-2560 m.  Flowering occurs in April.  Rare and endangered.