Epiphytic shrub;  mature branches subterete, striate, glabrous, nitid; immature twigs angled, glabrous.  Leaves coriaceous, rigid, ovate, 4.5-13.5 x 2.6-6.7 cm, apex acute, obtuse, or short-acuminate, the apex itself obtuse, base rounded, sometimes subcordate, margin remotely crenate with sessile, blunt, glandular teeth, glabrous, nitid on both sides;  pinnately nerved, midrib slightly raised above and becoming plane in distal 1/4, conspicuous beneath, lateral nerves 4-7, slightly raised above and beneath, and either inconspicuous or prominent, reticulate veinlets slightly raised on both sides but obscure above and obscure to conspicuous beneath;  petiole strongly thickened, rugose, 2-7 mm long and 3-6 mm diam., glabrous.  Inflorescence axillary, racemose, flowers 20-40, secund, those near base sometimes caducous; rachis 10-31 cm long, striate, sharply angled, glabrous, deep red;  floral bract ovate, acute to acuminate, 2.5-5 x 2-3 mm, proximal 2/3 of margin callose-glandular, blackish;  pedicel angled, thickening distally, glabrous, 5-10 mm long and ca. 1.2 mm thick;  bracteoles located beneath calyx, similar to floral bract, but 2-3 x ca. 2 mm.  Flowers with calyx 8-12 mm long, articulate with pedicel, slightly stipitate, deep red;  hypanthium obconic, rugose or smooth, basally truncate, 3-4 mm long, nitid;  limb erec to spreading, 5-6.5 mm long, ca. 5 mm diam;  lobes deltate, 2-3 x 2.5 mm, acute, eglandular;  sinuses obtuse to rounded;  corolla tubular, carnose, glabrous, slightly inflated near base, 18-25 mm long and 3.5-6 mm diam., orange-red to scarlet, lobes oblong-ovate, 3.5 mm long, obtuse;  stamens 10, equal, about 1/3 as long as corolla, 4-4.5(-7) mm long;  filaments distinct, unequal, alternately ca. 2.5 and 3 mm long, densely white hirsute along margin;  anther 3-5 mm long;  thecae 2-2.5 mm long, strongly granular;  tubules conic, 0.75-1 mm long, dehiscing by terminal, slightly flaring pores with an irregular margin;  style filiform, glabrous, equalling the corolla.

    Distribution.  Mexico, Guatemala, Honduras, and Belize, but known from only ca. 7 collections.