Erect shrub, sometimes scrambling, (0.3-)1-2 m tall;  mature stems terete, striate, weakly puberulent but glabrate, appressed-strigose (or hairs sometimes spreading) with straight, basally swollen, ± tan to golden, eglandular hairs to 2 mm long;  bark reddish-brown;  twigs subterete, complanate, striate, puberulent and strigose as on mature stems;  buds ovate, complanate, scales marginally ciliolate, otherwise glabrous, reddish-brown.  Leaves coriaceous, surface somewhat to strongly bullate, ovate, (3-)5-10(-13) x (1.5-) 2.5-4(-7.5) cm, base rounded sometimes subcordate, apex acuminate, margin crenate with each tooth terminating in a usually persistent, long-setose hair 2.5-3 mm long, plane to slightly incurved, blade glabrous or sparingly short-white-tomentose along basal 1/4 of midrib above, strigose beneath especially along veins, with appressed hairs to 2.3 mm long (glabrate);  midrib and lateral nerves (3-4 per side) impressed above and conspicuously raised beneath, reticulate veinlets plane to weakly impressed above and raised beneath;  petiole subterete, flattened and canaliculate above, (3-)5-7 mm long, strigose and also weakly puberulent above.  Inflorescence racemose, (2-)7-12(-17)-flowered, with 6-8 decussate, sterile bracts at base;  rachis subterete, angled, striate, 2-4(-5) cm long, weakly to moderately hirsute with straight to crisped hairs to 0.5 mm long and also densely to weakly white puberulent;  pedicels subterete, striate, 4-10 mm long, hirsute and also puberulent as on rachis;  bracteoles basal, continuous with and clasping pedicel, ovate, keeled, 2-3 x 2-2.2 mm, acuminate, glabrous or short-pilose distally along rib (also strigose along rib without), glabrous to distally pilose within, ciliolate;  floral bract apparently continuous with rachis, ovate, keeled, ca. 3.5-6 x 2-2.5 mm, acuminate, indumentum as on bracteoles.  Flowers with calyx glabrous (except lobe margins), 4-4.2 mm long, lobes ovate, (2.8-)3-3.2 x 1.5-2.2 mm, long-acuminate, ciliolate, glabrous within;  corolla cylindric-urceolate, nearly terete to bluntly 5-angled, 4.5-7 x 3.5-5.5 mm, glabrous (with a few strigose hairs without), red when fresh, lobes oblong-ovate, acute to obtuse, whitish;  stamens 3.2-4 mm long;  filaments 2.7-3 mm long, glabrous or sparsely pilose along margins;  anthers 1-1.5 mm long, awns minute; ovary pilose or glabrous;  style ca. 3 mm long, glabrous.  Fruiting calyx 7-12 mm diam., glabrous, white with pink tint, somewhat translucent.  Chromosome number: n=11, 2n=22 (Luteyn et al. 8789).

     Distribution (Map).  Widespread in Colombia and Ecuador on relatively open, steep slopes of cloud forest, and subpáramo to páramo thickets at elevations of (1800-)2200-3200 m.  Flowering and fruiting throughout the year.

     Common names and uses.  Ecuador:  misijallo (Pichincha). The fruits are said to be edible (fide Acosta-Solís 14671).

    Cultivated:  E.