 Locally called molinillo, the tree is endemic to the Cauca river watershed and surroundings, from Antioquia department to the South of Valle department.It is distributed between 1700 and 2600 m. Currently the species only occurs in a few locations with remains of old-growth primary forest, on the slopes of the Occidental and Central Andean Cordillera, in Valle, Quindío, Antioquia and Risaralda departments.In Risaralda department, it is very scarce, there is confirmed presence of the species in the Municipalities of Santuario, La Celia, Pereira and potentially in rural areas of the municipalities of Pueblo Rico, Belén de Umbría, Apía and Balboa.