Erect shrub 0.5-2 m tall;  mature stem terete, striate, glabrate;  bark thin, cracking into longitudinal strips, grayish-brown;  twigs subterete, striate, papillate, minutely puberulent with whitish hairs, also densely hirsute with straight or distally crisped, eglandular, ferruginous hairs to 2 mm long, these becoming canescent and glabrate;  buds subglobose, scales broadly ovate, rounded, densely canescent dorsally, ciliolate.  Leaves coriaceous, sometimes slightly concave, sometimes somewhat clasping stem, broadly ovate to ovate-elliptic, (2.5-)3.5-5.5 x (1.5-)2-3.5 cm, base conspicuously cordate, apex abruptly short-acuminate, serrulate, finely white puberulent along veins above and also deciduously hirsute with thin, scattered, straight, eglandular hairs to 2 mm long, densely and persistently hirsute below with thin, crisped, eglandular, ferruginous hairs ca. 1.5 mm long;  midrib, lateral nerves (2-3 per side), and reticulate veinlets all impressed above often causing leaves to be somewhat bullate, all veins slightly raised and conspicuous beneath;  petiole subterete, rugose, papillate, 3-5 mm long, densely hirsute as twigs.  Inflorescence racemose, 6-10-flowered, circumscribed at base by a series of ovate, striate, puberulent bracts to 3 mm long;  rachis subterete, bluntly angled, 1-3 cm long, densely white puberulent, also moderately to densely hirsute with straight or distally crisped, eglandular, ferruginous hairs to 0.75 mm long;  pedicels terete, 4-5 mm long, pubescent as rachis;  bracteoles located about midway along pedicel, striate, ovate, 3 x 1 mm, acuminate, densely white or canescent puberulent especially distally and also eglandular, ferruginous hirsute on both surfaces;  floral bract striate, ± cochleariform, ovate to oblanceolate, 6-8 x 2.5-3 mm, acute to acuminate, puberulent especially distally within and also hirsute as bracteoles on both surfaces.  Calyx 3-4 mm long, densely white puberulent especially at base and also moderately densely hirsute with straight, eglandular or minutely gland-tipped, ferruginous hairs, lobes ovate-deltate, 2.5-3 x 2-2.5 mm, acuminate, densely canescent puberulent within;   corolla terete, cylindric-urceolate, 5-6 x 4-5 mm, white puberulent and also densely hirsute with straight or distally crisped, minutely gland-tipped, ferruginous hairs, short-pilose within, white to pinkish when fresh, lobes ovate, ca. 1 mm long, acute;  stamens ca. 4 mm long;  filaments 1-1.5 mm long, densely pilose;  anther 1-1.2 mm long, awns short but conspicuous;  ovary densely short-pilose;  style 3-4 mm long, pilose at base.  Fruiting calyx ca. 8 mm diam., pilose and with scattered hirsute hairs, seemingly blue-black.

     Distribution (Map).  Endemic to Panama [Volcán Barú (=Volcán Chiriquí), Chiriquí Province], where it is common on the volcanic rock of the llanos or savannas near El Hato del Volcán and from one collection near Boquete, at elevations of 1300-2100 m.  Flowering and fruiting sporadically throughout the year.