Epiphytic, climbing shrub, to 1 m tall, bearing a lignotuber in cultivation, glabrous throughout;  stem terete striate, mature bark grey;  twigs puberulent, young bark reddish-brown and exfoliating.  Leaves coriaceous, with odor of wintergreen when crushed, elliptic, (3-)6-10 x (2-)3.5-6(-13) cm, base rounded and sometimes ± subcordate, apex rounded and sometimes retuse;  5-plinerved from near the base, midrib and lateral nerves impressed above and raised beneath, reticulate veinlets slightly raised on both surfaces but obscure;  petiole terete, rugose, 3-5 mm long.  Inflorescence axillary, solitary, racemose, 4-15(-25)-flowered;  rachis subterete, 1-8 cm long;  floral bract ovate, acute, 1-1.3 mm long, sometimes marginally glandular-fimbriate;  pedicel subterete, angled, striate, 15-17 mm long, elongating to 28 mm after anthesis;  bracteoles nearly basal, ovate, acute, ca. 0.7 mm long, glabrous, possibly glandular at base.  Flowers with calyx 4-5 mm long, dark orange;  hypanthium cylindric-campanulate, rugose, ca. 2 mm long, the base truncate;  limb campanulate, 2-3 mm long and 7-8 mm diam. across the lobes;  lobes broadly triangular, acute to bluntly acute, ca. 1.5-2 mm long, yellowish (fide label), each bearing dorsally one round, slightly concave, dark gland 0.2-0.4 mm diam., that secretes a "sugar" when young (fide label);  sinuses broadly rounded;  corolla thickly coriaceous, subglobose-urceolate, ca. 8-9 mm long and 7-8 mm diam., orange, the lobes triangular, ca. 1 mm long, purplish-black;  stamen ca. 8 mm long;  filaments connate, ca. 3 mm long, glabrous, attached to the thecae just below the middle, lacking spurs;  anthers ca. 5-6 mm long, strongly laterally compressed;  thecae ca. 3.5-4 mm long;  tubules ca. 1.5 mm long, conical and tapering from a very broad base, dehiscing by subapical slits ca. 0.2-0.5 mm long near base of tubule;  style ca. 7 mm long;  nectariferous disc annular, thick, conspicuous.  Berry spherical, ca. 15 mm diam., blue, without seeds (in cultivation).

    Distribution.  Ecuador (Morona-Santiago Prov.) and Peru;  rainforest at 180-700 m altitude.  Rare.

    Cultivated:  E.