Tree to about 15 m. Branchlets obtusely quadrangular, more or less compressed, usually copiously lenticellate-tuberculate, strongly nodose, the internodes 2-4 cm long, the terminal ones compressed, densely fulvo-hirsuto-tomentose; young shoots and buds fulvous or ferruginous densely hirsute-tomentose and rather velutinous. Stipules geminate, oblong-triangular, tomentose, about 2 mm long. Leaves opposite, 3-5-jugate; axis 7-12 cm long, rather thick, densely fulvo-tomentose or velvety, more or less glabrate, striolate, sulcate above, often lenticellate-tuberculate, the interjuga 1.2 to 2.2 cm long, the petiole robust, thickened at the base, 2.5-4.0 cm long; stipels unguiculate, very acute, 1.0-1.5 mm long. Leaflets rigid-coriaceous, yellowish-green above, ochraceous beneath; petiolules 2-5 mm long, robust, sulcate above; blades 4-9 cm long, 2.2-4.0 cm wide, oblong-ovate or elliptic ovate, oblong, asymmetrically rounded or subcordate at the base, attenuate, acute or shortly acuminate at the apex, dentate-serrate and revolute, the indentation simple or double; strongly rugose-bullate, glabrous and lustrous above, the nervation deeply impressed; ochraceous-tomentose beneath, with a moderately dense indumentum of long, patulous or subpatulous, fine hairs, the costa very prominent, angular, striolate, the 12-15 pairs of prominent, secondary nerves ascendent, the angle of divergence 55°-65°,’ curving and anastomosing near the margin, the tertiary nerves transverse and with the small reticulum of minor veins strongly prominent and conspicuous throughout the indumentum. Panicles axillary, long-pedunculate, 12-22 cm long, 8-18 cm broad, the peduncle 6-11 cm long, striate, compressed, tomentose, often glabrate, the first division trichotomous, the rest dichotomous, the ascending branchlets angular, striolate, more or less compressed, densely hirsute-tomentose, the subtending bracts linear, hirsutulous, 2-4 mm long, the ultimate branchlets bearing sessile or subsessile flowers, not crowded. Pedicels 0-0.5 mm long. Bracteoles subulate, 1.0-2.5 mm long. Female flowers pentamerous, rarely tetramerous, the buds subangular-globose, 3.0-3.2 mm in diam; calyx about 3 mm long, when expanded 8-10 mm in diam, the lobes ovate triangular, acute, 2.8-3.0 mm long, 1.6-2.2 mm wide, appressed-puberulous with fine hairs outside, sericeous towards the apex inside and minutely tomentose at the margin; staminodia small, the filaments 0.7-1.0 mm long, thickened and pilose at the base, the sterile anthers oblong, cordate or rounded at the base, acute at the apex, 0.7 mm long; fertile carpels five (rarely four), the ovary about 1 mm long, ovoid, densely hirsutulous-hispid, the style 2.0-2.5 mm long, rather thick, glabrous except at the pilose base. All follicles in a flower developed or only two to four developed, subrotundate, thickly marginate-carinate at the suture, divergent, apiculate, about 5.0 × 4.5-5.0 mm, the apiculum 1.5-2.0 mm long, curvate; exocarp medium sized, densely and minutely tomentose and long-hispidulous, the bristles 0.7-1.0 mm long; endocarp rigidly cartilaginous, ellipsoid, with subacute angle of insertion, obtuse at the opposite stylar point, very slightly or not at all compressed, 4-5 mm long, 3.2-4.5 .mm broad, when dry and open urceolate, pot-shaped with short medial incision. Seeds single, ellipsoid-orbicular, compressed, reddish-lustrous, 2.8-3.0 × 2.0-2.4 mm.
(Fig 40, p 96.) Andean forests in southern Colombia at 2900-3400 m elevation.
