Herbs up to 1 meter high; stems quadrangular or the lower portions subquadrangular, densely hirsute or glabrate with age, the hairs more or less spreading, up to 0.76 mm. long; leaf blades ovate to oblong- ovate, short-acuminate, acute to subacute at base, moderately firm, entire, both surfaces hirsute, the hairs 0.5 to 1.5 mm. long, the cysto- liths slender, scattered and obscure; petioles 5 to 8 mm. long, densely Lirsute; spikes terminal, 2 to 4 cm. long, the lowermost internodes about 5 mm. long, the others successively shorter towards tip of spike, the peduncles 3 to 7 mm. long, hirsute, the rachis both hirtellous and hirsute, the smaller hairs up to 0.8 mm. long, the longer ones up to 1 mm. long, all more or less spreading, straight or slightly curved; bracts lanceolate, boat-shaped but not keeled, 3.5 mm. long, 0.75 mm. wide, acute, the margins ciliate, otherwise glabrous, the hairs up to 0.38 mm. long, the costa prominent but not conspicuous; bractlets lanceolate, 3.5 mm. long, 0.5 mm. wide, acute, sparingly hirsute and ciliate, the costa prominent; calyx 8 mm. long, the segments 4, narrowly lanceolate, 0.75 mm. wide near base, gradually narrowed to a slender tip, moderately both hirsute and hirtellous, the marginal hairs up to 0.15 mm. long; corollas 3 cm. long, magenta, moderately pubescent without, the hairs spreading, 0.28 mm. long, densely and retrorsely hirtellous toward base, the hairs about 0.3 mm. long, the tube 1.5 mm, broad near base, thence gradually enlarged to 6 mm. at mouth, the lips subequal, about 6 mm. long, the upper lip ovate, erect, 9 mm. long, 5 mm. wide, subacute (the tip itself blunt), the lower lip 3-lobed, cuneiform, 11 to 12 mm. long, 7.5 mm. wide near base of lobes, the lobes ovate, 2.5 mm. long, the middle one 3 mm. wide, the lateral ones 2.5 mm. wide, all obtuse or rounded; stamens exserted 8 mm. beyond mouth of corolla, the filaments glabrous, the anther cells slightly superposed, attached obliquely to a flat connective 0.75 mm. wide, the upper cell 2 mm. long, nearly horizontal, hirtellous dorsally, the lower cell 1.5 mm. long, nearly vertical, minutely apiculate at base, both cells glabrous; pistil about as long as the stamens, sparingly and minutely hirtellous near base, the stigma minutely 2-lobed; ovary glabrous; capsule not seen. Type in the U. S. National Herbarium, No. 2025719, collected by stream in dense damp forest on a connecting ridge in the central mountains of the Sierra de la Macarena, Intendencia of Meta, Colom- bia, 1,450 meters altitude, January 21, 1950, by W. R. Philipson, J. M. Idrobo, and R. Jaramillo (No. 2183). Isotype in the Harbarium of the British Museum. Justicia oreopola is allied in a general way to J. ischnorhachis. There is a noticeable similarity in the leaves and flowers of the two species. J. oreopola can, however, easily be recognized by its much denser spike and by its hirsute pubescence. The specific epithet is from the Greek ópeоróλos, haunting mountains.