Herb up to 60 cm. high; stems erect or ascending, slender, sub- quadrangular, puberulous, the hairs upwardly ascending, curved, septate (the septa black), up to 0.2 mm. long, the internodes of the stems up to 9.5 cm. long; leaf blades lance-ovate, up to 3 cm. long and 1 cm. wide, subobtuse to short-acuminate with a blunt tip, narrowed at base, rather firm, entire, the upper surface hirtellous, the hairs mostly curved, ascending, rigid, up to 0.3 mm. long, the hairs of the lower surface confined chiefly to costa and lateral veins, rigid, subappressed, straight or slightly curved, up to 0.4 mm. long, the venation of both leaf surfaces moderately conspicuous, the cystoliths obscure; petioles slender, up to 5 mm. long, hirtellous; panicles slender, up to 30 cm. long and 5 cm. broad, the lowermost branches paniculate, the upper branches racemose, the flowers in each raceme few (usually 2 to 5 or 6), or the flowers in or near the tip of the panicle solitary; peduncles slender, up to 3 cm, long, quad- rangular, 0.25 mm. in diameter, hirtellous, the hairs similar to those of the stems; pedicels short, not more than 1.5 mm. long and 0.3 mm. in diameter, hirtellous, the medial and lowermost branches of the panicle subtended by leaves, these progressively smaller toward tip of the inflorescence, the uppermost branches subtended by bracts, these linear, up to 4 mm. long and 0.5 mm. wide, acute, sparingly hirtellous, the hairs straight, rigid, ascending, up to 0.2 mm. long; bracts subtending the flowers similar but somewhat smaller; bractlets none; calyx deeply segmented, the segments 5, linear-lanceolate, 8.5 mm. long, 1 mm. wide near the base, subacute at the tip, mod- erately hirtellous dorsally, and ciliate, the hairs ascending, rigid, nearly straight, up to 0.16 mm. long, an occasional one gland-tipped, the inner surface of segments glabrous; corolla rose, 11-15 mm. long, glabrous except the lobes, these pilose dorsally, the hairs mostly spreading, up to 0.5 mm. long, white, the tube subcylindric, 1.5 mm. in diameter, the lobes elliptic, 7 mm. long, 3 mm. wide, rounded or obtuse, the posterior lobe subcucullate; stamens barely excerted, 7 mm. long, glabrous, the anthers 2.5 mm. long and 0.5 mm. broad; style 4 mm. long, glabrous, the stigma subcapitate, incon- spicuously bilobed; ovary glabrous; capsules not seen.
Type in the U. S. National Herbarium, No. 2045429, collected in temperate forest, Cerro Negro, Hato Grande, on ridge east of Río Muchindote, 15 km. east of Gachetá, Department of Cundina- marca, Colombia, 2,735 meters altitude, June 13, 1944, by Martin L. Grant (No. 9439). Isotype: US.

The specific epithet is from the Greek xapier, meaning slender and graceful. Compared with other Colombian species, Habracanthus charien is unique in its small rose corollas with narrow tube, small throat, subequal lips (the upper lip relatively broad and not contorted) and in its short, barely exserted stamens. The species might possibly represent a new genus.