Terrestrial or epiphyte, scandent or lianoid shrub to 2 m, glabrous in all parts except staminal filaments;  stem terete, smooth, bearing along internodes large chartaceous, lanceolate-oblong bracts 5-10 mm long;  twigs terete, striate.  Leaves elliptic-lanceolate, (9-)12-25(-31) x (2-)5-10 cm, base broadly cuneate to rounded and very shortly attenuate onto petiole, apex long-acuminate, margin revolute at very base;  pinnately nerved with (5-)7-9 lateral nerves per side, midrib and lateral nerves impressed above and raised beneath, reticulate veinlets impressed or slightly raised above and raised beneath;  petiole terete, rugose, 5-10 mm long.  Inflorescence axillary, short-racemose, 4-9-flowered;  rachis 2-10 mm long, surrounded at base by a series of ovate, obtuse bractsca. 1-1.5 mm long;  floral bract oblong to ovate, acute to obtuse, 2-3 mm long, marginally glandular-fimbriate (sometimes fused);  pedicel subterete, striate, (12-)17-22 mm long, crimson, distally glandular-fimbriate;  bracteoles basal or nearly so, similar to floral bract.  Flowers with calyx 5-6 mm long, crimson;  hypanthium cylindric but distinctly narrowed at limb, 2--3 mm long, the base truncate to rounded;  limb campanulate-spreading, 3-4.5 mm long, irregularly splitting with lobes sometimes fused;  lobes ovate, acuminate to apiculate, 2-3 mm long, the margins "torn";  sinuses acute;  corolla conical-urceolate, ± globose basally and conspicuously constricted at the throat, 7-9 mm long and to 8 mm diam. near base, red to crimson in lower part and white to pink above, the lobes spreading, triangular, acute, 1-1.5 mm long, white to pink;  stamenca. 4.5-4.8 mm long;  filaments distinct, 1-2 mm long, marginally densely short-pilose;  anthers 3.5-4.2 mm long;  thecae 2.5-2.7 mm long, the base strongly curved, the connectives without spurs;  tubules apparently coherent in the proximal half,ca. 1.7 mm long, dehiscing by slitsca. 0.6 mm long.  Immature berry, spherical, to 14 mm diam., green.

    Distribution.  Southern Colombia (Putumayo) and Ecuador;  premontane forest to montane rainforest, at 1830-3200 m altitude.