Small branching tree; tips of the stems densely upwardly strigose, the lower portions glabrate; leaf blades oblanceolate, 12 to 13.5 cm. long, 3 to 4.5 cm. wide or those subtending the spikes smaller, acumi- nate, the tip itself blunt, gradually narrowed from above middle to the base, gray-green (Cuatrecasas), the upper surface drying olive, glabrous or nearly so or the younger leaves rather densely appressed- pubescent, the hairs about 0.5 mm. long, the lower surface drying grayish olive, densely and softly pubescent, the hairs on the costa and veins appressed, the others ascending, light brown, 0.5 mm, long, the costa and lateral veins (11 or 12 pairs) prominent, especially on the lower surface; petioles about 1 cm. long, appressed-pubescent; spikes usually 3, terminal and subterminal, the peduncles 1 to 2 cm. long, densely brown-pubescent, the spikes 4 to 7 cm. long and 1.5 cm. broad, the rachis densely brown-pubescent; bracts ovate, 9 to 10 mm. long, 7.5 mm. wide, obtuse and minutely apiculate, rose-violet (Cuatre- casas), coriaceous, entire or tipped by a pair of minute teeth, densely and softly pubescent dorsally, the hairs barely 0.5 mm. long, the glandular area on either side poorly defined, the individual ocelli joined to form a small pitted area; bractlets lanceolate, 11 mm. long, 2.5 mm. wide, acuminate, obliquely carinate, densely pubescent dor- sally, striate-nerved; calyx 14 mm. long, the segments lanceolate, the posterior segment 5 mm. wide, the anterior pair 3 mm. wide, the lateral pair 2.5 mm. wide, all acute, puberulous dorsally, striate- nerved; corollas up to 5.8 cm. long, bright red (Cuatrecasas), puberulous, except the basal portion, the tube 2 mm. broad at base, enlarged to 3 mm., thence narrowed to 2 mm. at 7 mm. above base, then gradu- ally enlarged to 5 mm. at throat, the upper lip erect, elliptic, 17 mm. long, about 8 mm. wide at middle, 2-lobed at apex, the lobes triangular, 2.5 mm. long, 1.5 mm, wide, acute, the lower lip 3-lobed, the middle lobe spreading, lanceolate, 24 mm. long, about 8 mm. wide below middle, obtusish and minutely apiculate at tip, the lateral lobes 9 mm. long, 1.5 mm. wide, subacute, their upper margins partly attached to the upper lip, their free portion triangular; stamens reaching the sinus of the upper lip, the filaments glabrous, the anthers 6 mm. long, their lobes minutely apiculate at base; pistil slightly exceeding the stamens; ovary glabrous; mature capsule not seen. Type in the U. S. National Herbarium, No. 1900488, collected on Monte El Tabor, on the ridge of the Cordillera Occidental, above Las Brisas, Department of El Valle, Colombia, 1,970 to 2,100 meters alti- tude, October 19, 1946, by J. Cuatrecasas (No. 22284). The pair of minute teeth found on some of the bracts together with an agreement in the general aspect suggests a relationship of A. ta- borensis with A. deppeana Schlecht. & Cham.