Epiphytic shrub with stems pendent to 2.5 m, vegetatively glabrous;  mature branches terete, smooth or inconspicuously striate, punctate or pustular from deciduous short-stalked spherical glands;  twigs subterete, complanate, bluntly angled, smooth or striate, "punctate."  Leaves ovate-elliptic, ovate, oblong, or rarely suborbicular, (5.5-)9-15(-21.5) x (3-)4-7(-10.5) cm, basally rounded, obtuse, or broadly cuneate, sometimes short-attenuate, apically short- to moderately long-acuminate with acumen to 2 cm long (fide Sleumer), sometimes abruptly or short-cuspidate, often bullate, glabrous (although the suborbicular leaves of Luteyn & Lebrón-Luteyn 6999 are hispid on both surfaces and on the petioles with hairs 1 mm long), lower surface provided with deciduous, scattered, stout, glandular fimbriae with more or less capitate heads which leave a punctate or pustular scar;  5(-7)-plinerved, midrib conspicuously thickened and raised through proximal 2 cm, otherwise impressed above and raised beneath, inner pair of lateral nerves usually arising 2-2.5 cm above base, impressed above and raised beneath, reticulate veinlets rarely raised above;  petioles terete, rugose, 7-18 mm long and 2-3.2 mm diam.  Inflorescence 15-22-flowered, encircled at base by numerous bracts which are subcoriaceous, scarious, glandular-fimbriate-margined, glabrous, ovate or oblanceolate, to 30 x 17 mm;  rachis subterete, the nodes tightly congested, glabrous, 1-2 cm long and 6-7 mm in diam., pink when fresh, proximal 5 mm peduncular and bearing inflorescence bracts;  floral bracts oblong, spatulate, or oblanceolate, 30-56 x 7-20 mm, apically rounded, acute, or obtuse, purplish-magenta to dark maroon when fresh, glabrous, marginally and dorsally (distally) provided with subspherical, stalked (0.4 mm) glands;  pedicels subterete, ribbed, glabrous, 11-14 mm long and 1.7 mm diam. (extending to 18 mm long after anthesis), pink when fresh, provided with stalked glands (stipe to 1 mm long but averaging 0.3 m, heads 0.2-0.3 mm diam.);  bracteoles obscure, awl-shaped, 2 mm long, tipped with a spherical gland.  Flowers:  calyx glabrous, 6.5-10 m long;  hypanthium subcylindric, 10-ribbed, 3-4 mm long, basally apophysate with the apophysis margins undulate and often turning upwards, pink when fresh, provided with a few stalked glands similar to those of pedicel;  limb campanulate-cylindric, smooth, 5-5.5 mm long, dark pink to maroon when fresh, rarely with 1-2 stalked glands;  lobes deltoid or broadly triangular, 1-2 mm long and 2.5 mm broad, each margin provided with an oblong, callose, superficial gland 1.5-2 mm long, these not continuous at lobe apex, or each side with a short, oblong-concave gland as well as a stalked gland nearer the sinus;  sinuses rounded;  corolla cylindric, glabrous, 28-38 mm long and ca. 10 mm diam., white in basal 2 mm, the tube dark purple, the limb and lobes white, lobe margins purple; lobes oblong-triangular, obtuse, ca. 1.5 mm long;  stamens 25-29 mm long;  filaments short-pilose ventrally, alternately 4-5 mm and 9-10 mm long;  anthers alternately 22-26 mm and 17.5-21 mm long;  thecae alternately 8.5-11.5 mm and 7.5-10 mm long;  style glabrous, 30-40 mm long.  Berry ca. 13-14 mm diam.

    Distribution (Map).  Endemic to Colombia and known only from cloud forest along the western slopes of the Cordillera Occidental W of Cali (Valle Dept.), at elevations of 1300-2400 m.  Flowering specimens have been collected in January-March, May, September, and November; fruiting specimens in May.  Rare and endangered.

    Local names.  curubito, quereme morado.