Terrestrial or epiphytic shrub, often lianoid and high-climbing to 7 m;  stem terete to obtusely angled, striate, glabrous;  twigs subterete, complanate and bluntly angled, striate, glabrous.  Leaves coriaceous but drying thin-coriaceous to membranous, elliptic to oblong- or ovate-elliptic, (10-)20-29 x (4-)6-13 cm, base acute to broadly cuneate, usually conspicuously short-attenuate onto the petiole, apex usually abruptly acuminate, the acumen to 3 cm long, margin entire, flat, lamina glabrous;  3-5(-7)-plinerved from ca. 2-3 cm above the base, midrib and lateral nerves impressed above and conspicuously raised beneath, reticulate veinlets slightly raised and conspicuous to obscure on both surfaces;  petiole terete, slightly carinate, not canaliculate, stout, rugose, 6-13 mm long, glabrous.  Inflorescence sometimes ramiflorous, racemose to corymbiform by elongation of lower pedicels, ca. 8-23-flowered, congested especially distally, glabrous in all parts, although often farinose or scaley when young and then covered with a whitish exudate which may persist to anthesis;  rachis subterete, sometimes angled, striate, 2-5(-6) cm long, glabrous;  floral bract persistent, ovate to oblong, acuminate to rounded, 2-5  x ca. 2 mm, glabrous, marginally glandular-fimbriate;  pedicel subterete, ribbed, 25-45(-60) mm long, elongating to 73 mm post-anthesis, glabrous, distally with ring of fimbriae at articulation;  bracteoles nearly basal to medial, similar to floral bract, but to only 3 mm long.  Flowers with calyx sometimes inconspicuously articulate with the pedicel, 7-9 mm long, often verrucose, glabrous, red;  hypanthium cylindric, ca. 2.5-4 mm long, often longer than broad, the base narrowed and truncate or sometimes rounded, glandular-fimbriate;  limb thin, campanulate-spreading, 4-5 mm long;  lobes 4-5, irregularly split, ovate-deltate, 1.5-3.5 x 3-5 mm, or apiculate and less than 1 mm long, margin often appearing torn;  sinuses acute to very broadly rounded to flat;  corolla membranous, tubular, the base often somewhat globose, twice- constricted below the middle, distally narrowed from midway (the beginning of the throat) and conspicuously constricted, 21-39 mm long and 7-10 mm basal diam., red in basal 3/4 and white distal 1/4, glabrous, the lobes spreading, oblong-ovate, acute, 3-4 x 2 mm;  stamen 11-14(-17) mm long;  filaments distinct, 2-5.5 mm long, glabrous, the connectives lacking spurs;  anthers 10-12(-14) mm long;  thecae 6-8(-9) mm long, the base slightly incurved;  tubules distinct, 3-4(-5) mm long;  style equalling corolla or long-exserted, glabrous.  Mature berry not seen, but immature spherical, to 14 mm diam., crowned by the persistent, erect calyx limb, green.

    Distribution.  Colombia, Ecuador, and Peru;  rainforest, premontane and montane cloud forest, at 100-2430 m altitude.

    Local names:  Ecuador: chuquilullu, hisitro.