Terrestrial or epiphytic shrub, often lianoid with branches to 5 m long, usually all parts (stem, leaves, rachis, bracts, calyces, corollas) densely pilose to tomentose with spreading, multicellular, ferruginous hairs to 1.5 mm long;  stem and twigs terete to subterete, striate.  Leaves elliptic, oblong, ovate-lanceolate, 5.5-15(-25) x 2.5-5(-11) cm, base rounded, slightly subcordate, apex acuminate to caudate-acuminate, glabrous above;  5-7-plinerved from near the base, midrib and lateral nerves (except outermost pair) impressed above and raised beneath, reticulate veinlets (and outermost pair lateral nerves) slightly raised on both surfaces;  petiole terete, rugose, 3-7 mm long.  Inflorescence racemose, 10-25-flowered, most parts ± tomentose;  rachis subterete, bluntly angled, 8-26 cm long;  floral bract linear-lanceolate, long-acuminate, striate, 10-13 mm long;  pedicel terete, striate, 8-26 mm long;  bracteoles located near middle of pedicel or slightly above, rarely near the base, narrowly lanceolate, 6-10 mm long.  Flowers with calyx 14-25 mm long;  hypanthium cylindric, striate, 4-5 mm long;  limb campanulate-spreading, sometimes irregularly split, 10-20 mm long, pilose within;  lobes triangular to ovate, acute to acuminate, striate, 6-10 mm long;  sinuses acute;  corolla tubular, constricted above middle, 21-36 mm long and to ca. 10 mm basal diam., more densely pilose distally, pale yellowish-green proximally, more yellowish distally but turning to orange and then red later, the lobes spreading and reflexed, oblong-triangular, acute, ca. 3-4 mm long, pale yellowish-green;  stamen alternately slightly unequal, ca. 13-14 mm long;  filaments connate, ca. 5.5-6 mm long, long-pilose distally and glandular-fimbriate dorsally, the connectives all spurred near apex, the spurs very thick and wide spreading;  anthers 8.5-10 mm long;  thecae 4.5-6 mm long, the base incurved;  tubules connate in the proximal third to half, ca. 4.5-5 mm long, dehiscing by clefts ca. 2-2.5 mm long;  style slightly to long-exserted, glabrous.  Berry spherical, at least 15 mm diam., crowned by persistent calyx limb, green.

    Distribution.  W Panama, Colombia, and Ecuador;  tropical wet forest, premontane moist, wet and rainforest, to montane wet and rainforest at 400-2400 m altitude.

    Local names:  Ecuador: flor de duende (Coiquer), gualicón, jandia uvilis (Quichua).

    Uses:  medicinally the flower is hung over suffering patient.