Terrestrial or epiphytic shrub, to 5 m tall, often growing from a lignotuber to 0.3 m diam., sometimes subscandent, to 3 m tall, glabrous throughout;  stem terete, striate, glabrous;  twigs subterete, complanate and bluntly to sharply angled, pale pubescent, glabrate.  Leaves coriaceous, often oriented perpendicular to stem or reflexed and pointing backwards, sometimes bullate, nitid and dark green above, broadly ovate, suborbicular-ovate, ovate-elliptic to elliptic, (4-)6-15(-16) x (3-)4-9.5(-16) cm, base rounded and often subcordate, apex rounded to broadly obtuse, margin thickened and slightly recurved, glabrous on both surfaces but glandular-punctate all over especially above;  pinnately nerved (sometimes appearing plinerved) with 3-4 lateral nerves per side, midrib conspicuosuly thickened and raised in the proximal 1-3 cm then distally impressed above, conspicuously raised beneath, lateral nerves plane or impressed above and strongly raised beneath, reticulate veinlets usually slightly raised and conspicuous all over;  petiole subterete, broadly canaliculate above, thick, rugose, 3-7 mm long and 2-5 mm diam., pale pubescent when young.  Inflorescence axillary, congested, short-racemose, 4-10-flowered, surrounded at base with numerous, subcoriaceous, oblong-deltate, rounded to acute, glabrous bracts, to 4 x 2 mm;  rachis coarse, subterete, sharply angled, congested, 5-12 mm long, glabrous;  floral bract ovate to reniform, obtuse to acute, 1-2 mm long, glabrous;  pedicel terete, striate, rugose, 9-12 mm long, elongating to 20 mm after anthesis, the apex conspicuously thickened and obscurely glandular;  bracteoles located just below or above the middle, broadly deltate, short-acuminate, 1-2 x ca. 2.5 mm, glabrous.  Flowers with calyx 7-8 mm long when dry (ca 7.5-12 mm when fresh),  glabrous but glandular-punctate all over;  hypanthium cylindric-campanulate, ribbed to rugose, ca. 5 mm long when dried (ca 5-9 mm when fresh), the base truncate;  limb suberect-campanulate, 2-3 mm long when dry (ca 2.5-3 mm when fresh);  lobes minute, apiculate, < 0.5 mm long when dry and fresh;  sinuses complanate;  corolla carnose, cylindric-urceolate, smooth or muricate, 13-14 mm long and ca. 6-7 mm diam. near base when dry (but ca. 17-20 mm long and 8-9 mm diam. when fresh), deep red, glabrous, the lobes spreading, deltate, subacute, ca. 1.5 mm long, pale red to whitish;  stamen 10, 9-10 mm long;  filaments distinct, 1.5-3 mm long, glabrous;  anthers 7-9 mm long, abruptly terminating in short tubules;  thecae 5-6 mm long, basally obtuse and incurved;  tubules 2 and apparently connate nearly to the tip, rarely tubules completely fused with one dehiscence cleft, 2-3 mm long, dehiscing by clefts 1.5-2 mm long;  style exserted, glabrous.  Berry subglobose, to 1 cm diam., dark blue-black, nitid, juicy, insipid.

    Distribution.  Endemic to Ecuador;  premontane to montane moist cloud and rainforest, at 1780-3350 m altitude.

    Uses:  The fruit is very juicy but insipid (personal experience).

    Cultivated:  ABG, E, NCSC, NY, QCA.