Terrestrial shrub 1-2.5 m tall;  stem terete, minutely striate, nitid, glabrate;  bark cracking longitudinally in thin strips, grayish-brown;  twigs subterete, ribbed, nitid, moderately to densely short-pilose with white hairs 0.8-1 mm long.  Leaves coriaceous, elliptic to ovate-elliptic, 1.8-2.3 x 0.8-1 cm, base rounded and subcordate, apex acute, margin crenate with each tooth terminated by a deciduous, glandular fimbria, glabrous on both surfaces or weakly short-pilose along midrib proximally, sometimes deciduously pilose along margins, moderately glandular-fimbriate beneath;  pinnately nerved with 3-4 lateral nerves per side, but on mature leaves all venation obscured or only minutely raised on both surfaces;  petiole subterete, flattened and broadly and shallowly canaliculate above, rugose, 4-5 mm long, densely short-pilose, glabrate.  Inflorescence axillary, fasciculate, 1-3-flowered, surrounded at the base by a series of inflorescence bracts which are elliptic to broadly ovate, obtuse to rounded, densely ciliate, to ca. 8 mm long and broad;  pedicel terete, rugose, 2-2.8 mm long, densely short-pilose;  bracteoles nearly basal, linear-lanceolate, 8-9 mm long, ciliate, marginally glandular-fimbriate.  Flowers with calyx articulate, ca. 13.5 mm long, bright red;  hypanthium obconic to barrel-shaped, weakly ribbed, 3.5 mm long, densely short-pilose;  limb spreading, conspicuously striate, 10 mm long, weakly pilose, deeply lobed;  lobes conspicuously striate, lanceolate, acute, ca. 9 mm long, glabrous but marginally coarsely glandular-fimbriate;  sinuses acute to bluntly acute;  corolla cylindric, narrowed slightly to throat, ca. 11.5 mm long and 4 mm diam., densely short-pilose, white to pinkish, the lobes spreading, triangular, acute, ca. 1.5 mm long;  stamen ca. 7.5-8 mm long;  filaments distinct, ca. 3-4 mm long, densely short-pilose ventrally and marginally in distal half;  anthers ca. 5 mm long;  thecae ca. 2.5-2.8 mm long, the base strongly incurved and sometimes mucronate;  tubules distinct to base, ca. 2.3 mm long, dehiscing by clefts ca. 1.8-2 mm long;  style inserted, ca. 9 mm long, glabrous.  Berry immature, but subspherical, ca. 11 mm diam., crowned by persistent calyx limb, glabrous, purple.

    Distribution.  Endemic to S Ecuador;  montane cloud forest, elfin forest, to subpáramo thickets, at 2440-3350 m altitude.  Rare.