Terrestrial, pendent shrub, on deeply shaded embankments, the leaves distichous giving the entire plant a very flat appearance, rooting wherever nodes contact soil;  stem terete, striate, brownish-tan when dry, glabrous;  twigs subterete to complanate, bluntly angled to strongly ribbed, striate, reddish-brown when dry, densely hirsute with reddish-brown hairs 0.4-0.6 mm long.  Leaves coriaceous, distichous, usually somewhat asymmetric (i.e., one side more flattened), elliptic-lanceolate, 1.5-3 x 1-1.6 cm, base long-tapering, cuneate to acute, apex shortly and sharply acuminate to short-mucronate, margin mostly flat but becoming revolute in proximal 1/4, short-hirsute above with whitish hairs especially at the apex, base, and along the margin, glabrous beneath, also provided with scattered glandular fimbriae above;  3(-5)-plinerved from the base, midrib and lateral nerves weakly impressed above and slightly raised beneath but inconspicuous on both surfaces, reticulate veinlets obscure;  petiole subterete, rugose, 1-2 mm long, puberulent.  Inflorescence axillary, of solitary flowers, surrounded at the base by a few ovate, apically rounded, glabrous bracts, < 1 mm long;  floral bract ovate or elliptic, rounded, ca. 1 mm long, glabrous;  pedicel terete, striate, ca. 8 mm long, weakly short-hirsute distally;  bracteoles basal, oblong to reniform, rounded, ca. 1 x 1.5 mm, glabrous.  Flowers pendulous, with calyx ca. 6 mm long, glabrous;  hypanthium spherical, smooth, ca. 4 mm long;  limb campanulate, ca. 2 mm long;  lobes deltate, acute, ca. 1.3 mm long;  sinuses rounded;  corolla urceolate, narrowed at the base and strongly constricted at the throat, ca. 9 mm long and 8 mm diam. (above middle), glabrous, the lobes reflexed, deltate, acute, ca. 2 mm long;  stamen 10 (only 1 old corolla available), 8-9 mm long;  filaments 2-2.6 mm long, short-hispid in distal half;  anthers 6-7 mm long, the connectives distally thickened;  thecae swollen, 3.3-3.5 mm long, papillate, separated distally;  tubules thinner than thecae, 2.6-3.5 mm long, dehiscing by terminal, somewhat flaring pores;  style not seen.  Berry spherical, immature,  ca. 7.5 mm diam., the pericarp brittle, dark green;  seeds numerous, surrounded by a mucilaginous sheath, the embryo white.

    Distribution.  Endemic to Ecuador (Pichincha) and known from only three collections, along roadside banks under shade of surrounding vegetation through premontane cloud forest, at 2040-2460 m altitude.  Rare and endangered.