Terrestrial shrub with one main erect stem or pendent branches to 3 m long;  stem subterete, broadly angled, striate, glabrous, weakly glaucous, drying irregularly flattened due to high pith/wood ratio;  twigs subterete, striate, glabrate.  Leaves thick-coriaceous, elliptic, oblong-elliptic, or lance-elliptic, 26-45 x 7-20 cm, base rounded or obtuse, apex long- or short-acuminate to cuspidate, margin conspicuously thickened, slightly revolute at middle becoming tightly revolute at base, moderately pilose on both surfaces when young otherwise glabrate;  3-5(-7)-plinerved from base, midrib and lateral nerves stout, weakly impressed or slightly raised above, conspicuously raised beneath, reticulate veinlets raised on both surfaces;  petiole subterete, sometimes flattened adaxially, rugose, glabrate, 12-25 mm long and 3-7 mm diam.  Inflorescence 20-30-flowered, surrounded at base by 6-8 coriaceous, persistent, ovate bracts, 7-15 mm long;  rachis sharply angled when dry, glabrous, 13-30 cm long and 5-8 mm diam., green or green suffused with pink;  floral bract ovate, oblong-ovate, 28-40 x 17-23 mm, basally clasping and auriculate, glabrous although distal 1/4 and especially apex ciliate, dark rose;  pedicel terete, slightly swollen distally, glabrous, ca. 25 mm long and 3(-5 distally) mm diam., rose-red, becoming essentially a hollow cylinder (except for included stele) when dry;  bracteoles oblong, obtuse, 7 x 3 mm, glabrous, each margin with 5-6 stout, tooth-like, callose glands.  Flowers with calyx glabrous, ca. 13 mm long when fresh but drying 7-8 mm, rose-red;  hypanthium a fleshy, apophysate rim 3 mm long;  limb cylindric, smooth, 10 mm long (drying 4-5 mm);  lobes triangular, acute, ca. 2 mm long, connivent after anthesis, each margin bearing along its edge an oblong, usually curved or crescent-shaped, slightly thickened gland ca. 2.5 mm long which is black when fresh, the glands not contiguous at lobe apex;  sinuses obtuse;  corolla cylindric, constricted at throat, glabrous, 33-34 mm long and 8 mm diam., light yellowish-green with white lobes (lobe margins purple), the lobes deltate, spreading at anthesis, ca. 1 mm long;  stamen ca. 27 mm long;  filaments weakly coherent at base, geniculate and there densely short-pilose on ventral surface, alternately ca. 4 mm and 8 mm long;  anthers alternately ca. 26 mm and 21 mm long;  thecae alternately ca. 11 mm and 8.5 mm long;  style ca. 35 mm long.  Berry not seen.

    Distribution (Map).  Endemic to Ecuador;  premontane wet and rainforest, lower montane wet forest, and montane cloud forest at 900-2430 m altitude.  Rare.

    Local names:  duinde cu.h (coaiquer);  duende.

    Uses:  Cultivated at ABG, E, NY.