Shrub to 1 m tall;  bark striate, glabrous or sometimes hispid, dark gray or gray and brown;  twigs subterete, hispid, ferruginous.  Leaves coriaceous, flat or slightly revolute, ovate, 1.6-3.9 x 0.9-2 cm, base obtuse or truncate, apex acute to obtuse, bluntly mucronate, margin entire (sparsely ciliate), both surfaces glabrous or sparsely hispid along midvein especially near the base;  petiole slightly flattened in cross-section, 1-3.5 mm long, hispid.  Inflorescence a terminal raceme, 8-19-flowered;  rachis 3.5-7.6 cm long, 1.3-1.9 mm in diam., hispid;  pedicels 16.5-26 mm long, 0.5-1.1 mm in diam., sparsely hispid (glabrous or tomentose);  bracteoles inserted on basal 1/2 of pedicel, flat or often slightly involute, linear to narrowly ovate (elliptic), 2.2-3.6 x 0.8-1 mm, base truncate, apex acuminate, margin entire, both surfaces glabrous or slightly tomentose;  floral bracts flat or slightly revolute, elliptic to narrowly ovate or narrowly obovate, 2.5-15.5 x 0.5-5.3 mm, base cuneate, apex acute to acuminate, margin entire (ciliate), both surfaces glabrous (midvein hispid).  Flowers (6-)7(-8)-merous;  calyx 4.7-5.3 mm long;  tube 1.3-2.2 mm long, 4.2-4.7 mm in diam., glabrous, dark red to maroon;  lobes ovate to very widely ovate, apex obtuse to acute, margin entire (ciliolate), 2.6-4.3 x 2.4-3.8 mm, longest lobes 3-4.3 mm, abaxial surfaces glabrous;  corolla campanulate or spreading, pink to light red (red-striped), petals narrowly obovate to spatulate, 24-37 x 5-10 mm, margin entire or distally ciliolate, slightly tomentose distally;  stamens subequal to corolla, 21.5-35.5 mm long;  filaments tomentose;  anther 2.1-3 mm long, 0.9-1.4 mm diam., glabrous;  ovary glabrous;  style exserted, 30.5-42 mm long;  stigma capitate.  Capsules depressed obovoid, 5.5-6 mm long, ca. 9 mm in diam., brown, exocarp not separating from the valves;  seeds not seen.

    Distribution.  Endemic to Ecuador, to the dry hills south of the town of Loja, at 2200-2800 m elevation.  The species flowers from March to April and July to November;  it bears fruit in April, July, and October.