Erect shrub to ca. 1 m tall;  mature stems terete, glabrous;  bark reddish-gray, exfoliating in thin strips;  twigs subterete, bluntly angled, striate, obscurely puberulent, reddish-brown;  buds strongly laterally compressed, ca. 1 mm long, scales few, glabrous, reddish.  Leaves thin-coriaceous, elliptic, oblong, to narrowly oblanceolate, always broadest above middle, (0.5-)1.4-2 x 0.4-0.5(-0.7) cm, base cuneate, apex acute, margin crenate with each tooth terminating in a short-setose, gland-tipped hair, glabrous on both surfaces;  midrib, lateral nerves, and reticulate veinlets plane to slightly raised or impressed and conspicuous above, raised and conspicuous beneath;  petiole subterete, broadly flattened and canaliculate above, 0.5-2 mm long, glabrous.  Inflorescence axillary, flowers solitary in axils of reduced leaves and leaf-like bracts, these congested near branch tips, thus appearing as a terminal pseudoraceme;  pedicel subterete, striate, 2-3(-4.3) mm long, glabrous or puberulent;  bracteoles 2, basal, clasping the pedicel, broadly ovate, 2-2.2 mm long and broad, apex retuse, margin ciliolate;  floral bract similar to bracteoles but smaller to 2.2-3.2 mm long, or leaf-like.  Calyx 2.5-3 mm long, lobes ovate, (2-)2.2-2.5 x 1.2-1.5 mm, acute-acuminate, glabrous without and weakly short-pilose within, sometimes ciliolate;  corolla cylindric to weakly cylindric-campanulate, apparently widening slightly distally, 3-4 x 2.5-3 mm, glabrous without but short-pilose within, white, lobes ovate, obtuse;  stamens 1.8-2 mm long;  filaments 1.5 mm long, glabrous;  anthers 0.5-0.7 mm long, awns inconspicuous;  ovary weakly pilose;  style 1.7-2 mm long, glabrous.  Fruiting calyx globose, ca. 4 mm diam., glabrous.

     Distribution (Map).  Endemic to Brazil (Santa Catarina), in the cloud forest zone along the eastern border of the southern planalto, at elevations of 1200-1400 m.  The species is found in "aparados da serra," preferring open areas of herbaceous or low woody vegetation where soils are shallow, these become wet in the rainy season and dry out in the dry season.  Flowering and fruiting seem to occur from Nov to Jan.  Rare and endangered.

     Common names and uses.  Brazil:  urze de ule (Santa Catarina).