Wiry, often pendent, terrestrial shrub with branches to 2.5 m long;  stem terete, glabrate;  bark cracking longitudinally, reddish- to grayish-brown when dry;  twigs subterete, densely villous with ferruginous hairs.  Leaves coriaceous, ovate, 0.65-1.3 x 0.4-0.6 cm, base rounded, apex acute, margin densely ciliate with hairs 0.5-1.5 mm long, also glandular-fimbriate beneath;  3-plinerved from the base, midrib impressed above and raised beneath, all other nerves obscure;  petiole subterete, somewhat flattened above, ca. 2 mm long, glabrous above but at articulation with node very densely villous.  Flowers solitary, axillary, multibracteate, essentially sessile;  floral bract chartaceous, persistent, striate, ovate, rounded, to 2.5 mm long and broad, densely ciliate;  bracteoles concealing entire calyx to the base of the lobes at anthesis, similar to floral bract but 3.5-4.5 mm long and broad.  Flowers 4-merous, with calyx 5-6 mm long;  hypanthium campanulate, 2-3 mm long, glabrous to sparsely pilose;  limb campanulate, 2-4.5 mm long, sparsely pilose;  lobes triangular, acute, 2.5-4 mm long, pilose especially marginally;  sinuses rounded;  corolla subcylindric, 11-13 mm long, sparsely to moderately pilose, red, the lobes spreading and reflexed, triangular, ca. 2 mm long;  stamen 8, 8-10 mm long;  filaments sigmoid, 4-6.5 mm long, pilose;  anthers 5.5-6 mm long;  thecae ca. 3 mm long, the base mucronate;  tubules 2, distinct, ca. 2.5-3 mm long, dehiscing by short, oblique clefts.  Berry ca. 8 mm diam., translucent cream-white, glabrous, crowned by persistent calyx limb.

    Distribution.  Colombia and N Ecuador;  montane cloud to wet forest, to subpáramo at 2720-3700 m altitude.