diff --git a/webapp/src/edu/cornell/mannlib/vitro/webapp/controller/freemarker/FreemarkerHttpServlet.java b/webapp/src/edu/cornell/mannlib/vitro/webapp/controller/freemarker/FreemarkerHttpServlet.java
index 8c61fdd5e..f24c52abf 100644
--- a/webapp/src/edu/cornell/mannlib/vitro/webapp/controller/freemarker/FreemarkerHttpServlet.java
+++ b/webapp/src/edu/cornell/mannlib/vitro/webapp/controller/freemarker/FreemarkerHttpServlet.java
@@ -282,6 +282,7 @@ public class FreemarkerHttpServlet extends VitroHttpServlet {
     
     // Add any Java directives the templates should have access to
     private void addDirectives(Map<String, Object> map) {
+        map.put("describe", new edu.cornell.mannlib.vitro.webapp.web.directives.dump.DescribeDirective());
         map.put("dump", new edu.cornell.mannlib.vitro.webapp.web.directives.dump.DumpDirective());
         map.put("dumpAll", new edu.cornell.mannlib.vitro.webapp.web.directives.dump.DumpAllDirective());  
         map.put("help", new edu.cornell.mannlib.vitro.webapp.web.directives.dump.HelpDirective()); 
diff --git a/webapp/src/edu/cornell/mannlib/vitro/webapp/web/directives/BaseTemplateDirectiveModel.java b/webapp/src/edu/cornell/mannlib/vitro/webapp/web/directives/BaseTemplateDirectiveModel.java
index 31eae996a..8bb8bc46b 100644
--- a/webapp/src/edu/cornell/mannlib/vitro/webapp/web/directives/BaseTemplateDirectiveModel.java
+++ b/webapp/src/edu/cornell/mannlib/vitro/webapp/web/directives/BaseTemplateDirectiveModel.java
@@ -2,16 +2,13 @@
 
 package edu.cornell.mannlib.vitro.webapp.web.directives;
 
-import java.util.ArrayList;
 import java.util.HashMap;
-import java.util.List;
 import java.util.Map;
 
 import org.apache.commons.logging.Log;
 import org.apache.commons.logging.LogFactory;
 
 import edu.cornell.mannlib.vitro.webapp.controller.freemarker.FreemarkerHelper;
-import edu.cornell.mannlib.vitro.webapp.web.directives.dump.DumpDirective;
 import freemarker.template.Configuration;
 import freemarker.template.TemplateDirectiveModel;
 
diff --git a/webapp/src/edu/cornell/mannlib/vitro/webapp/web/directives/dump/DescribeDirective.java b/webapp/src/edu/cornell/mannlib/vitro/webapp/web/directives/dump/DescribeDirective.java
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..dbc2c9544
--- /dev/null
+++ b/webapp/src/edu/cornell/mannlib/vitro/webapp/web/directives/dump/DescribeDirective.java
@@ -0,0 +1,147 @@
+/* $This file is distributed under the terms of the license in /doc/license.txt$ */
+
+package edu.cornell.mannlib.vitro.webapp.web.directives.dump;
+
+import java.io.IOException;
+import java.lang.reflect.Method;
+import java.lang.reflect.Modifier;
+import java.util.ArrayList;
+import java.util.Arrays;
+import java.util.HashMap;
+import java.util.List;
+import java.util.Map;
+
+import org.apache.commons.logging.Log;
+import org.apache.commons.logging.LogFactory;
+
+import edu.cornell.mannlib.vitro.webapp.web.directives.BaseTemplateDirectiveModel;
+import edu.cornell.mannlib.vitro.webapp.web.templatemodels.BaseTemplateModel;
+import freemarker.core.Environment;
+import freemarker.template.Configuration;
+import freemarker.template.SimpleScalar;
+import freemarker.template.TemplateDirectiveBody;
+import freemarker.template.TemplateException;
+import freemarker.template.TemplateHashModel;
+import freemarker.template.TemplateModel;
+import freemarker.template.TemplateModelException;
+import freemarker.template.utility.DeepUnwrap;
+
+public class DescribeDirective extends BaseTemplateDirectiveModel {
+
+    private static final Log log = LogFactory.getLog(DescribeDirective.class);
+    
+    @SuppressWarnings("unchecked")
+    @Override
+    public void execute(Environment env, Map params, TemplateModel[] loopVars,
+            TemplateDirectiveBody body) throws TemplateException, IOException {
+
+        if (loopVars.length != 0) {
+            throw new TemplateModelException(
+                "The describe directive doesn't allow loop variables.");
+        }
+        if (body != null) {
+            throw new TemplateModelException(
+                "The describe directive doesn't allow nested content.");
+        }
+        
+        Object o = params.get("var");
+        if ( !(o instanceof SimpleScalar)) {
+            throw new TemplateModelException(
+               "Value of parameter 'var' must be a string.");     
+        }
+        
+        String varName = ((SimpleScalar)o).getAsString();  
+        
+        TemplateHashModel dataModel = env.getDataModel();
+
+        TemplateModel tm =  null;
+        try {
+            tm = dataModel.get(varName);
+        } catch (TemplateModelException tme) {
+            log.error("Error getting value of template model " + varName + " from data model.");
+        }
+
+        Object unwrappedModel = null;
+        try {
+            unwrappedModel = DeepUnwrap.permissiveUnwrap(tm);
+        } catch (TemplateModelException e) {
+            log.error("Cannot unwrap template model  " + varName + ".");
+        }
+
+        if (! (unwrappedModel instanceof BaseTemplateModel) ) {
+            throw new TemplateModelException(
+                varName + " is not a template model.");                 
+        }
+        
+        List<Method> methods = getPublicMethods(unwrappedModel.getClass());
+        List<String> methodDescriptions = new ArrayList<String>(methods.size());
+        for (Method m : methods) {
+            methodDescriptions.add(getMethodDescription(m));
+        }
+        
+        Map<String, Object> map = new HashMap<String, Object>(); 
+        map.put("var", varName);
+        map.put("methods", methodDescriptions);
+        
+        try {
+            map.put("stylesheets", dataModel.get("stylesheets"));
+        } catch (TemplateModelException e) {
+            log.error("Error getting value of stylesheets variable from data model.");
+        }
+
+        DumpHelper helper = new DumpHelper(env); 
+        helper.writeDump("describe.ftl", map, varName);   
+    }
+    
+    
+    public String help(Configuration config) {
+        Map<String, Object> map = new HashMap<String, Object>();
+        
+        String name = getDirectiveName();
+        map.put("name", name);
+        
+        map.put("effect", "Describe the methods callable on a template variable.");
+        
+        //map.put("comments", "");
+        
+        Map<String, String> params = new HashMap<String, String>();
+        params.put("var", "name of variable to describe");
+        map.put("params", params);
+        
+        List<String> examples = new ArrayList<String>();
+        examples.add("<@" + name + " var=\"stylesheets\" />");
+        map.put("examples", examples);
+        
+        return mergeToTemplate(map, config);
+    }
+    
+    private List<Method> getPublicMethods(Class<?> cls) {
+
+        List<Method> methods = getDeclaredPublicMethods(cls);
+        // Don't get methods for classes higher in the class hierarchy than BaseTemplateModel.
+        if (! cls.getName().equals("edu.cornell.mannlib.vitro.webapp.web.templatemodels.BaseTemplateModel")) {
+            methods.addAll(getPublicMethods(cls.getSuperclass()));            
+        }
+        
+        return methods;
+    }
+    
+    private List<Method> getDeclaredPublicMethods(Class<?> cls) {
+        
+        List<Method> methods = new ArrayList<Method>();
+        Method[] declaredMethods = cls.getDeclaredMethods();
+        for (Method m : declaredMethods) {
+            int mod = m.getModifiers();
+            if (Modifier.isPublic(mod) && !Modifier.isStatic(mod)) {
+                methods.add(m);
+            }
+        }
+        return methods;
+    }
+   
+    
+    private String getMethodDescription(Method method) {
+        return method.toString();
+    }
+
+}
diff --git a/webapp/src/edu/cornell/mannlib/vitro/webapp/web/directives/dump/DumpAllDirective.java b/webapp/src/edu/cornell/mannlib/vitro/webapp/web/directives/dump/DumpAllDirective.java
index a6e60adab..f11bc1e49 100644
--- a/webapp/src/edu/cornell/mannlib/vitro/webapp/web/directives/dump/DumpAllDirective.java
+++ b/webapp/src/edu/cornell/mannlib/vitro/webapp/web/directives/dump/DumpAllDirective.java
@@ -3,7 +3,6 @@
 package edu.cornell.mannlib.vitro.webapp.web.directives.dump;
 
 import java.io.IOException;
-import java.io.Writer;
 import java.util.ArrayList;
 import java.util.Collections;
 import java.util.HashMap;
@@ -13,13 +12,10 @@ import java.util.Map;
 import org.apache.commons.logging.Log;
 import org.apache.commons.logging.LogFactory;
 
-import edu.cornell.mannlib.vitro.webapp.controller.freemarker.FreemarkerHelper;
 import edu.cornell.mannlib.vitro.webapp.web.directives.BaseTemplateDirectiveModel;
-
 import freemarker.core.Environment;
 import freemarker.template.Configuration;
 import freemarker.template.TemplateDirectiveBody;
-import freemarker.template.TemplateDirectiveModel;
 import freemarker.template.TemplateException;
 import freemarker.template.TemplateHashModel;
 import freemarker.template.TemplateModel;
diff --git a/webapp/src/edu/cornell/mannlib/vitro/webapp/web/directives/dump/DumpDirective.java b/webapp/src/edu/cornell/mannlib/vitro/webapp/web/directives/dump/DumpDirective.java
index e8da4ccaf..199175788 100644
--- a/webapp/src/edu/cornell/mannlib/vitro/webapp/web/directives/dump/DumpDirective.java
+++ b/webapp/src/edu/cornell/mannlib/vitro/webapp/web/directives/dump/DumpDirective.java
@@ -3,7 +3,6 @@
 package edu.cornell.mannlib.vitro.webapp.web.directives.dump;
 
 import java.io.IOException;
-import java.io.Writer;
 import java.util.ArrayList;
 import java.util.HashMap;
 import java.util.List;
@@ -12,23 +11,15 @@ import java.util.Map;
 import org.apache.commons.logging.Log;
 import org.apache.commons.logging.LogFactory;
 
-import edu.cornell.mannlib.vitro.webapp.controller.freemarker.FreemarkerHelper;
 import edu.cornell.mannlib.vitro.webapp.web.directives.BaseTemplateDirectiveModel;
-import edu.cornell.mannlib.vitro.webapp.web.templatemodels.BaseTemplateModel;
 import freemarker.core.Environment;
 import freemarker.template.Configuration;
 import freemarker.template.SimpleScalar;
-import freemarker.template.TemplateBooleanModel;
-import freemarker.template.TemplateDateModel;
 import freemarker.template.TemplateDirectiveBody;
 import freemarker.template.TemplateException;
 import freemarker.template.TemplateHashModel;
 import freemarker.template.TemplateModel;
 import freemarker.template.TemplateModelException;
-import freemarker.template.TemplateNumberModel;
-import freemarker.template.TemplateScalarModel;
-import freemarker.template.TemplateSequenceModel;
-import freemarker.template.utility.DeepUnwrap;
 
 public class DumpDirective extends BaseTemplateDirectiveModel {
 
diff --git a/webapp/src/edu/cornell/mannlib/vitro/webapp/web/directives/dump/DumpHelper.java b/webapp/src/edu/cornell/mannlib/vitro/webapp/web/directives/dump/DumpHelper.java
index d4e48020b..86de3d4fd 100644
--- a/webapp/src/edu/cornell/mannlib/vitro/webapp/web/directives/dump/DumpHelper.java
+++ b/webapp/src/edu/cornell/mannlib/vitro/webapp/web/directives/dump/DumpHelper.java
@@ -59,7 +59,7 @@ public class DumpHelper {
         }
 
         // This case must precede the TemplateScalarModel case, because
-        // tm is an instance of StringModel.
+        // tm is an instance of StringModel and thus a TemplateScalarModel.
         if (unwrappedModel instanceof BaseTemplateModel) {
             type = unwrappedModel.getClass().getName(); 
             value = ((BaseTemplateModel)unwrappedModel).dump();
diff --git a/webapp/src/edu/cornell/mannlib/vitro/webapp/web/directives/dump/HelpDirective.java b/webapp/src/edu/cornell/mannlib/vitro/webapp/web/directives/dump/HelpDirective.java
index 4055295b8..010e16c48 100644
--- a/webapp/src/edu/cornell/mannlib/vitro/webapp/web/directives/dump/HelpDirective.java
+++ b/webapp/src/edu/cornell/mannlib/vitro/webapp/web/directives/dump/HelpDirective.java
@@ -3,7 +3,6 @@
 package edu.cornell.mannlib.vitro.webapp.web.directives.dump;
 
 import java.io.IOException;
-import java.io.Writer;
 import java.util.ArrayList;
 import java.util.HashMap;
 import java.util.List;
@@ -12,22 +11,15 @@ import java.util.Map;
 import org.apache.commons.logging.Log;
 import org.apache.commons.logging.LogFactory;
 
-import edu.cornell.mannlib.vitro.webapp.controller.freemarker.FreemarkerHelper;
 import edu.cornell.mannlib.vitro.webapp.web.directives.BaseTemplateDirectiveModel;
-import edu.cornell.mannlib.vitro.webapp.web.templatemodels.BaseTemplateModel;
 import freemarker.core.Environment;
 import freemarker.template.Configuration;
 import freemarker.template.SimpleScalar;
-import freemarker.template.TemplateBooleanModel;
-import freemarker.template.TemplateDateModel;
 import freemarker.template.TemplateDirectiveBody;
 import freemarker.template.TemplateException;
 import freemarker.template.TemplateHashModel;
 import freemarker.template.TemplateModel;
 import freemarker.template.TemplateModelException;
-import freemarker.template.TemplateNumberModel;
-import freemarker.template.TemplateScalarModel;
-import freemarker.template.TemplateSequenceModel;
 import freemarker.template.utility.DeepUnwrap;
 
 public class HelpDirective extends BaseTemplateDirectiveModel {
diff --git a/webapp/web/templates/freemarker/body/partials/dump/describe.ftl b/webapp/web/templates/freemarker/body/partials/dump/describe.ftl
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..a40dabe4f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/webapp/web/templates/freemarker/body/partials/dump/describe.ftl
@@ -0,0 +1,13 @@
+<#-- $This file is distributed under the terms of the license in /doc/license.txt$ -->
+
+<#-- Template for displaying directive describe -->
+
+<h3>Methods available to variable <em>${var}</em></h3>
+    
+<div class="dump">
+    <#list methods as method>
+        ${method}<br />
+    </#list>
+</div>
+
+${stylesheets.add("/css/dump.css")}
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/webapp/web/templates/freemarker/body/test.ftl b/webapp/web/templates/freemarker/body/test.ftl
index 970fac65f..a5387e236 100644
--- a/webapp/web/templates/freemarker/body/test.ftl
+++ b/webapp/web/templates/freemarker/body/test.ftl
@@ -63,3 +63,5 @@ ${scripts.add("/js/script1.js", "/js/script2.js", "/js/script3.js")}
 <@dumpAll />
 
 <@help directive="dump" />
+
+<@describe var="stylesheets" />