Evergreen shrub or slender tree to ca. 2-9 m tall, bark not seen; twigs moderately angled, slender, moderately lepidote, otherwise glabrous to sparsely pubescent; buds ovoid, 1-2 x 0.8-1.3 mm.  Leaf blades elliptic to ovate, 3-7.3 x 1.2-3.6(-5.2) cm, ± flat, coriaceous, ca. 0.25-0.3 mm thick; base narrowly cuneate to rounded; apex slightly acuminate or acute, to rounded or truncate; margin plane to slightly revolute, apical portion entire to very obscurely toothed, basal portion ± entire; venation brochidodromous, 3o veins reticulate; adaxial surface lepidote but scales usually quickly deciduous, with sparse to moderate pubescence on midvein, especially basal portion, sometimes extending to secondary veins, the 3o and higher order veins usually visible, the 2o veins often clearly connected in series of arches, not depressed; abaxial surface moderately lepidote, otherwise densely pubescent, the 3o and higher order veins ± flat, slightly and laxly reticulate to obscure, the 2o veins usually visible and slightly raised; scales rust colored, becoming whitish with age, usually persistent, ca. 0.08-0.23 mm in diameter, erose to nearly entire; petiole 4-6 mm long, lepidote, otherwise pubescent adaxially or all around; flower buds ± intermixed with vegetative buds.  Inflorescences fasciculate, ca. 5- to 10-flowered; pedicels clearly articulated with calyx, slender, 4.5-7.5 mm long, lepidote, with scales light orange to whitish, otherwise glabrous to sparsely pubescent; bracteoles subopposite, basal or nearly so, narrowly triangular, 0.5-1.2 mm long; floral bracts to ca. 2 mm long.  Flowers 4- (5-)merous; calyx lobes triangular, with acuminate apices, 1-1.7 x 0.6-1.3 mm, adaxial side sparsely pubescent, especially near apex, abaxial side lepidote, otherwise usually sparsely pubescent near base; corolla ± cylindrical (long-urceolate?), white, 4-5.5 x 2-3 mm, adaxially sparsely lepidote; filaments roughened, 2.5-3.5 mm long, unappendaged or with minute spurs near anther-filament junction; anthers 0.6-1.1 mm long; ovary lepidote, otherwise pubescent, placentae ± subapical.  Capsules long-ovoid with ± straight sides, (5-)6-7.5 x 1.5-3(-3.5) mm, sparsely lepidote, otherwise sparsely pubescent, especially near base, with pale, very thick sutures separating as unit from adjacent valves; seeds 2.5-3.5 mm long.

    Distribution.  Endemic to Cuba (Prov. Oriente, near Santa Catalina, Monte Toro, Monte Verde, and Guantánamo), in dense woods and thickets in mountains.