Terrestrial shrub with branches to 1 m long, vegetatively glabrous;  stem terete, the bark striate or cracking longitudinally, nitid;  twigs subterete to conspicuously complanate, slightly striate, nitid.  Leaves thick coriaceous, nitid, ovate to elliptic, 8-13.5 x 2.5-4.5 cm, base cuneate, apex acuminate, margin entire;  3-5-plinerved from near the base, midrib and lateral nerves mostly impressed above (or slightly raised in the proximal half) and raised beneath, reticulate veinlets slightly raised on both surfaces;  petiole subterete, narrowly costate along the length of both sides, rugose, 8-10 mm long, glabrous, dark red when dry.  Inflorescence solitary, axillary, racemose, 10-15-flowered, glabrous throughout (except filaments and connective);  rachis angled, 1.5-3 cm long, pale green suffused with pink;  floral bract caducous, membranous, oblong, ca. 6 mm long;  pedicel angled, 7-8 mm long at anthesis, but lengthening to 12 mm long later, pale green suffused with red;  bracteoles basal, membranous, linear-aristate, 1.5-2 mm long, marginally densely glandular-fimbriate with multicellular, multiseriate, clavate hairs.  Flowers with calyx 5-7.5 mm long;  hypanthium cylindric, bluntly 5-angled when fresh but drying sharply 5-angled, 3-4 mm long, basally truncate and slightly apophysate, pale green;  limb campanulate-cylindric, 2.5-3.5 mm long, translucent when fresh;  lobes triangular, acute, 1-1.5 mm long, marginally eglandular;  sinuses broadly rounded;  corolla cylindric, slightly constricted distally, ca. 13-16 mm long, bright red in the lower 3/4 and white in the upper 1/4, the lobes triangular, obtuse, ca. 0.5 mm long, completely reflexed at anthesis;  stamen 10, alternately 5 mm and 6 mm long;  filaments distinct, alternately 3 mm and 4.5 mm long, pilose in the distal half and onto the connective;  anthers equal, ca. 2.5 mm long;  thecae ca. 1.5 mm long; tubules ca. 1 mm long, dehiscing by terminal pores;  style ca. 14 mm long.  Berry not seen.

    Distribution.  Endemic to Ecuador and known only from the type collection;  cloud forest, at 1870-2150 m altitude.  Rare and endangered.