Terrestrial shrub with branches to 1 m long;  stem subterete, ribbed and striate, densely hispid with basally swollen, ferruginous hairs to 1.3 mm long;  twigs subterete, bluntly to sharply angled, striate, densely hispid with basally swollen, stramineous hairs.  Leaves congested, membranous, elliptic, 10-15 x 5-8 mm, base rounded to somewhat truncate, apex rounded, margin slightly thickened and revolute, glabrous but deciduously glandular-fimbriate on both surfaces with ferruginous hairs ca. 0.2 mm long;  weakly 5-plinerved from the base, midrib slightly impressed above and slightly raised beneath but inconspicuous, lateral nerves weakly raised on both surfaces but obscure, reticulate veinlets totally obscure;  petiole subterete, broadly canaliculate above, rugose, 1-2 mm long, densely hispid.  Inflorescence axillary, solitary, 1-flowered, surrounded at the base by a series of few, ovate, obtuse to acute, glabrous bractlets to 1.5 mm long;  floral bract broadly ovate, rounded, ca. 2.5 x 3 mm, glabrous, margin scarious;  pedicel none;  bracteoles broadly imbricate at the base and covering the calyx hypanthium up to the base of the calyx lobes, broadly ovate, rounded, ca. 2 x 3.6 mm, glabrous.  Flowers 4-merous, with calyx ca. 5.5 mm long, glabrous;  hypanthium campanulate, ± terete when fresh but drying quadrangular, ca. 2.3 mm long;  limb spreading, ca. 3.2 mm long;  lobes deltate, acute, 2.5-3 mm long, ciliolate;  sinuses acute;  corolla cylindric, 9-11 mm long and 4 mm diam., glabrous, the lobes reflexed, oblong-ovate, acute, ca. 1 mm long;  stamens 8, ca. 10.4 mm long;  filaments ca. 6.5 mm long, densely short-hispidulous all over except at very base with brownish hairs;  anthers ca. 4.8 mm long;  thecae smooth, ca. 1.8 mm long, the base mucronate;  tubules 2, distinct, ca. 3 mm long, dehiscing by clefts ca. 1.3 mm long;  nectariferous disc pulvinate, glabrous;  style equalling corolla, glabrous.  Berry depressed-ovoid, ca. 5-6 mm diam., crowned by persitent calyx limb with spreading lobes, translucent white.

    Distribution.  Endemic to Ecuador and known only from the type collection;  from premontane forest, at 2400 m altitude.  Rare and endangered.