Erect shrub, (0.3-)0.6-1 m tall, bisexual;  mature branches terete to subterete, glabrous, sometimes with odor of wintergreen (Steyermark et al. 26014);  twigs glabrous to densely puberulous and usually also laxly hirsute to short-setulose with straight, multicellular, gland-tipped hairs to 1.2 mm long.  Leaves thick-coriaceous, ovate, oblong-ovate, or elliptic, (7-)9-20(-30) x 5-10(-12) mm, base rounded or obtuse and short-attenuate, apex acute to subacuminate, margin thickened and slightly revolute, crenate with (4-)6-10(-15) teeth per side, these each bristle-tipped with caducous, multicellular, multiseriate, glandular hairs to 0.2 mm long, glabrous or weakly puberulent along midrib above, glabrous or weakly puberulent and also sometimes weakly hirsute-setulose with multicellular, gland-tipped hairs on lamina and midrib beneath, nitid above;  midrib impressed above and elevated beneath, secondary veins weakly impressed or raised above but prominent and slightly raised beneath (raised on both surfaces);  petiole 1-3.5 mm long, glabrous or weakly puberulent adaxially (short-hirsute abaxially).  Flowers with pedicels (2-)4-11(-13) mm long, weakly puberulent to densely short-pilose (glabrous), and usually also laxly setulose with reddish, straight or crisped, multicellular, gland-tipped hairs;  bracts and bracteoles indistinguishable, there being 4-5 bracts at the base of the pedicel and up to 8 scattered from the base to the apex, bracts ovate, clasping, 2-4 mm long, margin scarious, short-ciliate and often short-setose with multicellular, multiseriate, gland-tipped hairs;  calyx lobes deltate-ovate, 3-5 mm long, acuminate, glabrous or margin ciliate, especially distally, and usually laxly glandular setose at base;  corolla urceolate-ventricose, 7-9 mm long, 4-5 mm in basal diam., white at base and rosaceous at apex, or totally reddish, lobes 1.5-2 mm long, recurved;  stamens 10; filaments 2.5-3 mm long, glabrous or margin conspicuously long-pilose;  ovary globose, glabrous or short-pilose, style 3.5-5 mm long, glabrous.  Berry globose, 8-9(-14) mm diam., glabrous or laxly short-pilose, dark blue-black when mature.

     Distribution (Map).  Endemic to the tepuis of the Guayana Highland region of S Venezuela.  Infrequent on open summits in wet to swampy depressions or savannas, on sandy ground at bases of dry bluffs, or in upper slope forest near summit, at elevations of 1900-2800 m.  Flowering:  Jan-Mar and Jun;  fruiting: Jan-May.

    Cultivated:  E (?).