Epiphytic shrub;  mature branches terete, striate, glabrous, reddish when dry;  immature branches and twigs of new growth terete to subterete, often flattened with blunt angles, smooth to minutely striate, glabrous, reddish-brown when dry;  bark thin, cracking in a reticulate pattern, reddish.  Leaves coriaceous, ovate-lanceolate or elliptic-lanceolate, 2.5-6 x 1-1.5 cm, basally rounded or obtuse, apically long-acuminate, tip ultimately blunt, pale grayish-green when dry, glabrous;  obscurely 3(-5)-plinerved, midrib and lateral nerves plane to slightly raised on both surfaces, veinlets raised slightly on both sides but conspicuous only beneath;  petioles subterete, flattened adaxially, rugose, ca. 2 mm long and 1 mm in diam., glabrous or puberulent.  Inflorescences solitary, axillary, racemose, 8-10-flowered;  rachis subterete, smooth, glabrous, 1-1.5 cm long;  floral bracts persistent, linear-lanceolate or aristate, ca. 1 x 0.5 mm, glandular-fimbriate basally, ciliate distally;  pedicels cylindric, gradually thickening distally, striate, glabrous, 4-10 mm long and 0.5-1 mm in diam., sometimes with cartilaginous teeth distally;  bracteoles aristate, ca. 1 mm long, ciliate distally.  Flowers with calyx glabrous, 5-9 mm long;  hypanthium cylindric or spreading distally, slightly expanded as a rim basally but not conspicuously apophysate, striate, 1.5-3.5 mm long;  limb spreading, striate, 4.5-5 mm long including the lobes;  lobes broadly triangular, acute, striate, 1-2 mm long;  sinuses obtuse;  corolla cylindric, membranaceous when dry, glabrous;  stamens equal, 11-13 mm long;  filaments distinct at anthesis, marginally pilose, 2-3 mm long;  anthers including tubules 9.5-11 mm long dehiscing by oval, subterminal pores, 0.5-1.5 mm long;  thecae conspicuously granular, 2-3 mm long;  style thin, glabrous, 14-19 mm long, strongly exserted at anthesis;  stigma truncate.  Berry not seen.

    Distribution.  Endemic to Costa Rica, to the Monteverde area;  in premontane cloud forest, at ca. 1300-1400 m;  flowering during the months of March-April and December.  Rare.