Terrestrial or climbing epiphyte to 2 m tall, rarely "small tree";  stem terete to subterete, bluntly angled, striate, densely short-pilose or glabrous;  twigs subterete, bluntly angled, striate, densely short-pilose with whitish hairs;  bud scales linear-lanceolate to acicular, long-aristate, to 7 mm long.  Leaves coriaceous, lanceolate to elliptic-lanceolate, (3-)4-9 x (0.6-)1-2.5(-3) cm, base cuneate-attenuate, apex acute (sometimes bluntly so), margin usually slightly (but noticeably) to strongly revolute, moderately to densely short-pilose on both surfaces but glabrate above (or glabrous above seemingly from the beginning), persistently or weakly pilose beneath, also glandular-fimbriate beneath, upper surface muriculate;  pinnately nerved with 3-6 lateral nerves per side, midrib impressed above and raised beneath, sometimes thickened and raised in proximal 1 cm, lateral nerves impressed (sometimes weakly and obscure) above and raised beneath, prominent to obscure, reticulate veinlets slightly impressed or raised but obscure above and slightly raised beneath;  petiole terete to subterete, flattened or canaliculate above, rugose, 6-10 mm long, glabrous or densely short-pilose.  Inflorescence axillary, racemose, 1-4(-7)-flowered;  rachis subterete, angled, striate, 0.6-1.1 cm long, densely short-white-pilose;  floral bract oblong-deltate, midrib prominent, obtuse to acute or acuminate, 4-7 x 1.5-2 mm, ciliate and short, white-pilose;  pedicel subterete, ribbed, 12-20 mm long, densely short-white-pilose;  bracteoles nearly basal to midway along pedicel, narrowly triangular to linear-lanceolate, midrib prominent, acuminate, 4-7 x to 2 mm, densely short-white-pilose, margin sometimes glandular-fimbriate.  Flowers with calyx articulate, densely to moderately short-white-pilose, (14-)16-22 mm long;  hypanthium obconical, 5-winged opposite sinuses, (4-)7-8 mm long;  limb spreading, 12-17 mm long;  lobes membranous, prominently ribbed, triangular, acuminate, 10-15 x to 5 mm basally;  corolla thin-carnose, 31-45 mm long and 5-7 mm diam., densely pale pilose (hairs 0.5-0.8 mm long) without, glabrous within, bright red outside, white on inside and on outer margins of corolla lobes, the lobes oblong-lanceolate, subacute, 6-12 mm long and ca. 4 mm broad at base;  stamen 10, alternately slightly unequal, shorter than corolla, 31.5-35 mm long;  filaments equal, distinct, 2-4 mm long, glabrous;  anthers alternately slightly unequal, 30.5-32.5 mm long;  thecae alternately slightly unequal, 8-12 mm long;  tubules longer than thecae, connate in proximal half, 20-23 mm long, dehiscing by oblique, somewhat flaring pores 0.5-1 mm long;  style about as long as corolla.  Mature berry not seen, but at least 10 mm diam.

    Distribution.  Endemic to Ecuador;  montane wet forest to subpáramo at  2570-3500 m altitude.