Terrestrial or epiphytic shrub to 2 m tall;  stem terete, striate, glabrous, the bark cracking longitudinally;  twigs subterete, complanate and bluntly to sharply angled, striate, glabrous, although newly flushing twigs emerging white pilose;  bud scales inconspicuous, ovate, acuminate, ca. 1.8 mm long, pilose.  Leaves coriaceous, elliptic to oblong-elliptic, or oblanceolate, (2-)3-5 x (-0.5)0.9-1.6(-2.2) cm, base cuneate to long-attenuate, rarely obtuse, apex acute or obtuse, rarely rounded, margin slightly to conspicuously revolute, glabrous, but sometimes glandular-fimbriate beneath;  pinnately-nerved with 2-4 lateral nerves, midrib thickened, red, and raised in proximal 2-4 mm, then impressed above and raised beneath, lateral nerves weakly impressed above and raised beneath but inconspicuous on both surfaces, reticulate veinlets sometimes slightly raised beneath but obscure on both surfaces;  petiole subterete, flattened above, slightly winged, rugose, 3-6 mm long, glabrous.  Inflorescence axillary, solitary, racemose, 1-3-flowered, surrounded at base by few, ovate to oblong, acute to rounded, bracts to 1.5 mm long;  rachis subterete, sharply angled, rugose, 3-10 mm long, short-pilose;  floral bract ovate-deltate, acute to rounded, 1.5-3 x 1.5-2 mm, margin ciliolate;  pedicel subterete, sharply ribbed, 9-14 mm long, glabrous or sometimes white pilose at articulation;  bracteoles located along lower one-third of pedicel, similar to floral bract.  Flowers with calyx articulate, 10-20 mm long (rarely elongating to 30 mm post anthesis), glabrous;  hypanthium cylindric-campanulate, sharply 5-winged, rugose, 3-3.5 mm long;  limb erect-spreading, 7-18 mm long;  lobes narrowly triangular, rugose, acuminate, 6-15 (rarely elongating to 20 mm post anthesis) x 4-5 mm;  sinuses acute;  corolla cylindric, broadly and bluntly 5-angled, 21-28 mm long and ca. 9 mm basal diam., glabrous, orange to red, the lobes triangular, spreading, the tips recurved, acuminate, 5-8 mm long, pale red to whitish along margin, the extreme tips sometimes short-pilose;  stamens 10, alternately slightly unequal, 16-23 mm long;  filaments distinct, 3--4 mm long, glabrous;  anthers alternately slightly unequal, 15-23 mm long;  thecae alternately slightly unequal, 6-11 mm long;  tubules connate in proximal two-thirds, 2-3 times longer than thecae, ca. 15 mm long, dehiscing by oblique, slightly flaring pores ca. 1 mm long;  style shortly exserted, glabrous.  Mature berry not seen, but at least 13 mm diam.

    Distribution.  Endemic to Ecuador;  montane wet to cloud forest at 2620-3000 m altitude.  Rare and endangered.