Terrestrial herb, about 15-30 cm tall. Stem sappy, creeping, ochraceous-tomentose. Leaves equal or unequal in a pair; petiole 1-4.5 cm long, ochraceous-tomentose; blade chartaceous when dry, ovate, oblong-ovate or oblong-elliptic, blade of the larger leaf in a pair 7-12 cm long, 4-6 cm wide, margin crenate-serrate, apex acuminate, base rounded and often unequal-sided, above strigillose, below villous. Flowers solitary; epedunculate; pedicel 1.5-4 cm long, villous. Calyx green, with pinkish pubescence when in fruit, lobes connate at base, tube 0.1 cm, free portion of lobes 4 erect, subequal, leafy, lanceolate, 1-2.2 x 0.3-0.5 cm, dorsal one curved around spur, somewhat smaller and narrower, margin serrate, apex acuminate, outside villous, inside pubescent except for villous apex; corolla oblique in calyx, bright red, 2.7-3.2 cm long, tube cylindric, 2.2-2.5 cm long, base shortly spurred, 0.5 cm wide, middle slightly widened, throat slightly contracted, 0.5-0.9 cm wide, outside densely villous, inside pilose in throat, limb 1.5-2 cm wide, lobes subequal, spreading, nearly orbicular, 0.6-1 x 0.6-1 cm, margin entire or obscurely toothed; stamens included, inserted at about 0.2 cm from base of corolla; ovary ovoid, 0.4 x 0.3-0.5 cm, hirsute, style 0.8-1.7 cm long, glabrous, stigma saucer-shaped. Mature capsule globose, 1 x 1 cm.
Use: The Wayãpi Amerindians provided different informations: some of them called yamuleka'apilã both Nautilocalyx kohlerioides and Columnea calotricha, and used the leaves of either one crumpled and macerated in water as febrifuge in external wash, or against headaches in poultice rubbed on the forehead. Others used only Nautilocalyx kohlerioides called ka'iuwitoto. The flowers and leaves were used in decoction or maceration, as external wash for the babies at risk of declining health because their father transgressed a hunting taboo concerning Cebus apella (Grenand et al., 1987).
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