Evergreen small shrub to tree with longitudinally furrowed bark; twigs slightly to moderately angled, slender, sparsely lepidote, otherwise glabrous to sparsely pubescent; buds ovoid, 0.8-1.2 x ca. 0.8 mm, lepidote.  Leaf blades ovate to elliptic, 3.5-9 x 2-6 cm, ± flat, usually thinly coriaceous, ca. 0.15-0.2 mm thick; base broadly cuneate to slightly cordate; apex acuminate, acute, to rounded or truncate; margin not revolute, apical portion clearly but finely and irregularly toothed, basal portion obscurely toothed; venation brochidodromous, 3o veins ± reticulate; adaxial surface lepidote but scales quickly deciduous, sparsely pubescent on basal portion of midvein, with 2o and higher order veins obscure to slightly visible; abaxial surface sparsely lepidote, otherwise glabrous, the 3o and higher order veins ± flat, obscure to very slightly and laxly reticulate, the 2o veins visible and slightly raised to obscure; scales rusty to golden, becoming whitish with age, usually persistent, ca. 0.08-0.17 mm in diameter, entire to slightly irregular; petiole 2-6 mm long, lepidote, otherwise adaxially pubescent.  Inflorescences fasciculate, ca. 3- to 8-flowered; pedicels ± clearly articulated with calyx, slender, ca. 2.5-4 mm long, lepidote, otherwise sparsely pubescent; bracteoles opposite, basal, narrowly triangular, ca. 0.8 mm long; floral bracts to ca. 1(?) mm long.  Flowers 4-merous; calyx lobes triangular, with acuminate to nearly acute apices, 0.7-0.9 x 0.4-0.6 mm, adaxial side glabrous or very sparsely pubescent near apex, abaxial side lepidote, otherwise usually glabrous; corolla urceolate(?), white, only immature flowers seen, but possibly reaching 3 or 4 mm in length, abaxially moderately (or densely?) lepidote; filaments roughened; ovary lepidote, otherwise pubescent.  Capsules narrowly ovoid, ca. 8 x ca. 3.5 mm, lepidote, otherwise pubescent, with pale, very thick sutures; seeds not seen.

    Distribution.  Endemic to Cuba (Oriente: W Sierra Maestra), rare, in "fangales" (moist montane forests).