diff --git a/var/spack/repos/builtin/packages/r-desolve/package.py b/var/spack/repos/builtin/packages/r-desolve/package.py
index de5d38fe36..df56b54656 100644
--- a/var/spack/repos/builtin/packages/r-desolve/package.py
+++ b/var/spack/repos/builtin/packages/r-desolve/package.py
@@ -7,17 +7,28 @@
 
 
 class RDesolve(RPackage):
-    """Functions that solve initial value problems of a system of first-order
-       ordinary differential equations ('ODE'), of partial differential
-       equations ('PDE'), of differential algebraic equations ('DAE'), and of
-       delay differential equations."""
+    """Solvers for Initial Value Problems of Differential Equations ('ODE',
+    'DAE', 'DDE')
+
+    Functions that solve initial value problems of a system of first-order
+    ordinary differential equations ('ODE'), of partial differential equations
+    ('PDE'), of differential algebraic equations ('DAE'), and of delay
+    differential equations.  The functions provide an interface to the FORTRAN
+    functions 'lsoda', 'lsodar', 'lsode', 'lsodes' of the 'ODEPACK' collection,
+    to the FORTRAN functions 'dvode', 'zvode' and 'daspk' and a
+    C-implementation of solvers of the 'Runge-Kutta' family with fixed or
+    variable time steps.  The package contains routines designed for solving
+    'ODEs' resulting from 1-D, 2-D and 3-D partial differential equations
+    ('PDE') that have been converted to 'ODEs' by numerical differencing."""
 
     homepage = "https://cloud.r-project.org/package=deSolve"
     url      = "https://cloud.r-project.org/src/contrib/deSolve_1.20.tar.gz"
     list_url = "https://cloud.r-project.org/src/contrib/Archive/deSolve"
 
+    version('1.28', sha256='4c55ef4cae841df91034382d277b483985af120240f87af587ff82177fdb5a49')
     version('1.24', sha256='3aa52c822abb0348a904d5bbe738fcea2b2ba858caab9f2831125d07f0d57b42')
     version('1.21', sha256='45c372d458fe4c7c11943d4c409517849b1be6782dc05bd9a74b066e67250c63')
     version('1.20', sha256='56e945835b0c66d36ebc4ec8b55197b616e387d990788a2e52e924ce551ddda2')
 
     depends_on('r@2.15.0:', type=('build', 'run'))
+    depends_on('r@3.3.0:', when='@1.28:', type=('build', 'run'))