[1] Its native range is tropical South America and it is found in the countries of Colombia, Ecuador and Peru.

[2] It is found in moist evergreen and montane forests at altitudes of 1,300–1,900 metres (4,300–6,200 ft) above sea level.

The leaves are coriaceous, 10–30 cm (4–12 in) long and elliptic, oblong or oblanceolate shaped, entire, abaxially prominently veined.

The calyx is green, purplish tinged, campanulate (bell shaped), 5-keeled, lobes coriaceous, deltoid or lanceolate, free halfway to near the base.

The corolla is green or greenish, campanulate, 5–15 cm (2–6 in) long, fleshy, lobes obtuse-deltoid, strongly reflexed.

[7] As well as a few other sources, although a recent phylogenetic study by Orejuela et al., (2017) recognizes it as a distinct genus based on DNA sequences.