Low, terrestrial shrub 1-1.5(-3) m tall, rarely epiphytic;  stem terete, striate, glabrous;  bark gray, cracking into thin, rectangular strips;  twigs complanate, striate to sharply ribbed, glabrous but sometimes glaucous.  Leaves thick-coriaceous, elliptic, 2-5(-6) x 1-3(-3.5) cm, base broadly cuneate or rounded to long-attenuate, apex acute to rounded, the apex itself usually blunt or rarely apiculate, margin remotely crenate to minutely serrate with each tooth terminating in a tiny, reddish-brown, deciduous glandular hair, the margin itself thin, often conspicuously revolute, glabrous;  pinnately nerved with 2-5 lateral nerves per side, midrib, lateral nerves and reticulate veinlets all usually impressed above and slightly raised beneath, leaves sometimes slightly bullate, glandular fimbriae sometimes sunken on upper surface;  petiole subterete, flattened above, rugose, slightly winged, 2-5 mm long, glabrous to puberulous.  Inflorescence axillary, racemose, 4-7-flowered, glabrous;  rachis subterete, sharply angled, nitid, 1-4.5 cm long;  floral bract ovate, acute-acuminate, 2-4 mm long, marginally with few, stout, sharply pointed glandular fimbriae;  pedicel subterete, sharply angled, 15-25 mm long, deep crimson or red, nitid, with few glandular fimbriae distally;  bracteoles nearly based or below middle, similar to floral bract but ca. 1.5-2.5 mm long, sometimes ciliate at tip.  Flowers with calyx articulate, 6-9 mm long;  hypanthium obprismatic, truncate, strongly and bluntly 5-ribbed or narrowly winged, 5-6 mm long, deep crimson to red;  limb spreading essentially perpendicular to calyx axis at anthesis, 2-4 mm long;  lobes broadly ovate, apiculate, 1-2 mm long;  sinuses acute;  corolla carnose, cylindric but broadly and bluntly pentagonal and basally conspicuously ventricose, 35-54 mm long and 12-16 mm basal diam., deep crimson to dark scarlet, the lobes spreading and strongly reflexed exposing the stamen and style, thin, narrowly linear-triangular, 20-26 mm long, dark purple within;  stamen 10, alternately slightly unequal, 31-49 mm long;  filaments distinct, equal to alternately slightly unequal, 3-7  mm long, weakly puberulent distally along margin;  anthers alternately slightly unequal, 30-45 mm;  thecae alternately slightly unequal, 10.5-20 mm long;  tubules lightly connate in proximal one-third, alternately slightly unequal, longer than thecae, 16-27 mm long, dehiscing by short oblique pores 1-1.5 mm long;  style shortly exserted, glabrous.  Berry oblate-spheroid, to 1.5 cm long and 2 cm diam., dull reddish, nitid, slightly sweet.

    Distribution.  Colombia and Ecuador;  endemic to páramo vegetation at 2800-3950 m altitude.

    Local names:  Ecuador: pipino, pena pena del pajón, gualicón, joyapa, pera, pera silvestre, manzanilla.

    Uses:  medicinally a decoction is drunk for the nerves;  fruits edible.