Terrestrial shrub ca. 2 m tall;  stems glabrous, striate, terete to complanate.  Leaves coriaceous, concave, ovate, 4-6 x 2-3 cm, basally rounded, apically acuminate, the margin often involute in proximal one-third;  3(-5)-plinerved, the inner nerves arising from the base, the midrib, lateral, and reticulate veinlets all impressed above and raised beneath, the reticulate veinlets conspicuous on both surfaces;  petiole subterete, flattened above, 3-4 mm long, sparsely puberulent above.  Inflorescence of axilllary racemes of 3-9 flowers;  rachis subterete, glabrous, 1-2(-6) cm long;  floral bract persistent, ovate, ca. 1.5 mm long, marginally with few glandular fimbriae;  pedicels terete, ca. 15 mm long at anthesis, elongating to 40 mm;  bracteoles near middle of pedicel, ovate, less than 1 mm long, marginally with few glandular fimbriae;  calyx terete, weakly puberulent, glabrate, ca. 9-15 mm long;  hypanthium 5-9 mm long;  limb 5-6 mm long;  lobes less than 1 mm and bearing on each side a small ± concave glandular area along the margin;  corolla cylindric-infundibuliform, glabrous, 40-50 mm long, when fresh ca. 10 mm in proximal diam. expanding to 22 mm distal diam. and orange to reddish-orange, the lobes deltate, ca. 4-6 mm long and 9-12 mm broad but tearing to 14 mm long when dry;  stamens ca. 35-41 mm long;  filaments distinct, pilose dorsally, 5-8 mm long;  anthers 31-39 mm long;  thecae ca. 6-11 mm long;  tubules dehiscing by exactly terminal pores.  Berry not seen.

    Distribution (Map).  Endemic to southern Colombia, where it is found in the high montane forest/wet páramo ecotone, at 2700-3250 m elevation.  Flowering specimens have been collected from January through March and July through September.  Rare and endangered.