Macleania laurina S. F. Blake, Proc. Biol. Soc. Washington 35: 121. 1922. Type. Ecuador. Carchi: nr El Angel, ca. 3400 m, 5 Jun 1921 (fl), Popenoe 1340 (holotype, US; NY fragment ex US, photo ACS neg. 63).Coarse terrestrial shrub 2-3 m tall, rarely epiphytic, sometimes lianoid, sometimes arborescent to 7 m tall and 6 cm dbh, often arising from lignotuber; stem terete, conspicuously striate, glabrous; twigs subterete, bluntly angled, striate or ribbed, densely puberulent, glabrate. Leaves thick-coriaceous, elliptic-ovate or oblong, 4-17.5 x 2.5-10.5 cm, base rounded, sometimes slightly subcordate, or sometimes very short-attentuate, apex acute or rarely rounded, glabrous or sparsely to densely short-pilose along nerves beneath, also conspicuously punctate on both surfaces from deciduous, sunken glandular fimbriae or these subpersistent beneath; pinnately nerved with 3-4 lateral nerves per side (or often appearing plinerved), midrib conspicuously thickened and raised in proximal 2-4(-5) cm then impressed distally above, prominently raised beneath, lateral nerves impressed above and raised beneath, reticulate veinlets obscure but impressed above and slightly raised beneath; petiole subterete, sometimes flattened above, strongly rugose, narrowly winged, 10-20 mm long, puberulent, glabrate. Inflorescence axillary, racemose, 10-25(-32)-flowered, subtended by a series of usually persistent, broadly ovate to oblong, rounded, densely short-pilose, glabrate, bracts to 12 x 10 mm, the apices not reflexed, the margins scarious; rachis congested, subterete, often sharply angled, striate, 3-14(-24) cm long and ca. 6 mm diam., densely short, white pilose; floral bract caducous or deciduous, not reflexed, oblong-elliptic, apically rounded, 11-17(-25) x (3-)7-8 mm, densely short, white pilose dorsally, ciliate, sometimes marginally glandular-fimbriate; pedicel subterete, conspicuously striate, 16-28 mm long, short-pilose; bracteoles nearly basal, rarely medial, caducous, oblong-ovate, obtuse to acute, 4-8 x 1.5-3 mm, short-pilose dorsally, ciliate. Flowers with calyx 8-10 mm long, short, white pilose; hypanthium subcylindric, striate, rugose, 3-6 mm long, red; limb spreading, 5-7 mm long; lobes broadly triangular, acute, 1.5-2 mm long; sinuses broadly rounded, sometimes tearing; corolla fleshy, cylindric, terete, 21-25 mm long and 11-16 mm diam., basally red, apically white, densely short, white pilose, the lobes bistratose, slightly spreading, oblong, acute 2-4 mm long, white; stamen 10, 12-16 mm long; filaments distinct, 4-5 mm long, glabrous or marginally pilose, the connectives sometimes alternately shouldered; anthers 9-14 mm long; thecae 5-8 mm long, the base incurved; tubules 2, connate most of length, sometimes alternate ones connate midway, 4-6.5 mm long, dehiscing by clefts ca. 3 mm long; style glabrous, about as long as corolla, to 31 mm long. Berry spherical, to 21 mm diam., weakly puberulent.
Distribution. Endemic to Ecuador; lower montane dry and moist forest, montane wet forest, to subpáramo, at (1800-)2700-3500 m altitude.
Local names: chaquilulo or chaqui-lulu (Quichua), gualicón, hualicón.
Uses: fruit edible; wood as fuel.
Cultivated: NCSC.