Terrestrial shrub;  stem terete, striate, ribbed, glabrous;  bark grayish, exfoliating in thin strips;  twigs subterete, bluntly angled, striate, densely short-pilose with white hairs.  Leaves subopposite, coriaceous, ± clasping, broadly ovate to suborbicular, 1.5-3.6 x 1.6-4 cm, base truncate to rounded, cordate, apex obtuse or rounded, rarely slightly retuse, glabrous but glandular-fimbriate beneath;  5(-9)-plinerved, midrib and lateral nerves (except outer pair) slightly impressed above, obscure and raised beneath, reticulate veinlets obscure above and slightly raised to obscure beneath;  petiole inconspicuous, complanate, flat above, rugose, 1-3 mm long, glabrous or pilose with white hairs.  Inflorescence axillary, short-racemose, sometimes two separate rachises per axis, 2-5-flowered, flowers in pairs along rachis;  rachis subterete, strongly angled, rugose, ca. 4-5 mm long, densely strigose to short-pilose with white or cinereous hairs;  floral bract ovate to linear-narrowly ovate, acute, 1.6-6 mm long, densely strigose to short-pilose;  pedicel subterete, ribbed, 8-32 mm long, moderately short-pilose with white hairs;  bracteoles near base of pedicel, ovate, acuminate, 1.5-3 mm long, short-pilose.  Flowers 4-merous, with calyx 12-21 mm long, essentially glabrous or weakly ciliate along wing edges and lobes;  hypanthium obconic, winged from base to sinuses, rugose, striate, 4-9 mm long;  limb erect to spreading, 8-12 mm long;  lobes triangular, acuminate, 5-10 mm long, tips pilose;  sinuses acute;  corolla tubular, terete or 4-angled, 17-25 mm long, white, densely tomentose without with white hairs, the lobes oblong-deltate, subacute, ca. 2 mm long;  stamen 8, ca. 15-18 mm long;  filaments 2-3 mm long, glabrous;  anthers 12-17 mm long;  thecae 4-7 mm long;  tubules distinct to base, 7-10 mm long, dehiscing through clefts ca. 3 mm long;  style equalling corolla.  Berry immature.

    Distribution.  Extreme S Colombia and N Ecuador;  montane cloud forest, subpáramo to páramo, at 2600-3250 m altitude.  Rare.