Macleania recumbens

Native to Ecuador, this shrub grows on the ground or as an epiphyte in rainforests and at the transition to secondary forest. Its branches may spread or droop, and plants can reach about six and a half feet tall. Oval, leathery leaves have prominent raised veins underneath. Solitary flowers arise beside the leaves, with fleshy, coral-red tubes and small green lobes. The calyx has five conspicuous wings, and white hairs line the inside of the flower mouth. In Ecuador’s Maquipucuna region, it grows between about 4,265 and 7,380 feet. Photographed in Peru.