Epiphytic, lianoid shrub;  stem terete, striate, nitid, glabrous;  twigs terete to subterete, often complanate and bluntly angled, nitid, glabrous.  Leaves thick-coriaceous, nitid, oblong to oblong-elliptic, (11-)15-40 x 4.5-10(-15) cm, base acute to cuneate, apex subacute or short and sometimes abruptly acuminate, margin entire and slightly revolute, sometimes conspicuously revolute near the base, glabrous;  3-5-plinerved from near base with the inner lateral nerves often arising up to 2(-3) cm above the base, midrib and lateral nerves raised in depressions in the basal 3/4, then slightly raised, plane, or impressed to apex above, raised and conspicuous beneath, reticulate veinlets slightly raised but inconspicuous on both surfaces;  petiole subterete, stout, rugose, 10-14(-25) mm long and to 4-5 mm diam., glabrous.  Inflorescence axillary, solitary or in clusters (i.e., pin-cushion type with short racemes), 3-10-flowered, frequently on leafless branchlets;  rachis subterete, sharply to bluntly angled, stout, 5-12 mm long, glabrous or puberulent;  floral bract ovate to oblong, acuminate, 2-3 mm long, glabrous or puberulent, marginally glandular-fimbriate;  pedicel subterete, subrugose, 10-16 mm long, glabrous or weakly puberulent distally;  bracteoles located from near base to near apex of pedicel, usually below the middle, similar to floral bract.  Flowers with calyx ca. 4-5 mm long, glabrous or puberulent;  hypanthium cylindric to  broadly campanulate, rugose, 1.5-3 mm long, weakly apophysate basally (at least when dry);  limb spreading-campanulate to rotate, ca. 2 mm long;  lobes broadly ovate, apiculate, to 1 mm long;  sinuses flat;  corolla narrowly cylindric, slightly wider at base and slightly narrowing towards apex, 25-43 mm long and ca. 6-8 mm diam. when dry (to ca. 11 mm diam. fresh), glabrous or rarely puberulent especially the lobes, red with white apex, the lobes broadly deltate, acute to bluntly acute, 1-2 mm long;  stamen alternately 8-10 mm and 9-12 mm long;  filaments 3-6 mm long, sparsely to densely short-pilose distally dorsally and along margins;  anthers alternately 6-8 mm and 7-9.5 mm long;  thecae ca. 3-6 mm long, narrowing towards base and sometimes mucronate;  tubules alternately ca. 3 and 3-5 mm long, the longer ones spreading distally and often with the tips incurved and ornate, the shorter ones not spreading, ± coherent to apex and with the tips sometimes ornately decorated, dehiscing by pores ca. 1-3 mm long;  style often exserted, 28-46 mm long, glabrous.  Mature berry not seen, but immature depressed-spherical, at least 16 mm diam., turning purple, glabrous.

    Distribution.  Colombia, Ecuador, and Peru;  tropical wet forest, premontane forest, to montane rainforest at 100-1460 m altitude.

    Local names:  Ecuador: as kin llullu (Cayapa);  deuendi (Coiquer).

    Uses:  Medicinally plant hung over head of patient as a cure.