Terrestrial shrub with stout branches to 2.5 m long, glabrous throughout;  stem subterete, often bluntly angled, conspicuously striate, stramineous when dry;  twigs complanate, strongly but bluntly angled, stramineous when dry.  Leaves broadly elliptic to ovate-elliptic, 6-20 x 4.5-14 cm, base rounded and short-attentuate, apex rounded or broadly acute, margin entire, slightly revolute to strongly revolute so as to obscure actual margin in lower one-third of lamina;  5-7(-9)-plinerved (or pinnate ?), midrib thickened and strongly raised in the proxmial 2-7 cm then impressed distally above, lateral nerves weakly impressed to raised in furrows above, raised beneath, the inner pair sometimes arising ca. 7 cm above the base, reticulate veinlets slightly raised on both surfaces, all venation relatively conspicuous;  petiole stout, subterete, flattened above, slightly winged, strongly rugose, 6-20 mm long and to ca. 6 mm diam.  Inflorescence solitary, axillary, subfasciculate, 2-6-flowered;  rachis short, stout, congested with overlapping nodes, to ca. 6 mm long;  floral bract caducous, ovate, acuminate, to ca. 2 mm long;  pedicel terete, striate, 21-32 mm long;  bracteoles basal, similar to floral bract.  Flowers with calyx articulatle, ca. 14 mm long (swelling to 18 mm long after anthesis), pale rose-red;  hypanthium cylindric, rugose, 5-6 mm long, the base apophysate;  limb cylindric-campanulate, 8-9 mm long;  lobes broadly triangular, acute, ca. 1-1.5 mm long;  sinuses broadly rounded;  corolla cylindric, carnose, ca. 28 mm long, rose-red, the lobes spreading, triangular, acute, ca. 3 mm long, pale green at anthesis;  stamen equal, ca. 21 mm long;  filaments distinct, ca. 4 mm long;  anthers ca. 20 mm long;  thecae ca. 14-16 mm long, difficult to distinguish from tubules, the base long-tapering;  tubules short, distinct, ca. 4-6 mm long, dehiscing by clefts ca. 4 mm long;  style glabrous.  Mature berry not seen, but large and dark bluish-purple.

    Distribution.  Endemic to Ecuador, and found along disturbed roadsides through cloud forest, at 1600-1760 m altitude.  Infrequent.