Article · Wikipedia archive · Last revised Jun 21, 2026

Purdiaea

Purdiaea is a genus of flowering plants in the family Clethraceae described as a genus in 1846. It is one of two genera in this family, and was formerly classified in the related family Cyrillaceae. Purdiaea is native to tropical regions of the Caribbean, Central America and northern South America, further south than the related genus Clethra, the only other genus of this family.

Last revised
Jun 21, 2026
Read time
≈ 1 min
Length
300 w
Citations
4
Source
Purdiaea
Purdiaea cubensis var. cubensis
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Embryophytes
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Spermatophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Asterids
Order: Ericales
Family: Clethraceae
Genus: Purdiaea
Planch.
Synonyms1
  • Alloiosepalum Gilg
  • Costaea A.Rich.
  • Schizocardia A.C.Sm. & Standl.

Purdiaea is a genus of flowering plants in the family Clethraceae described as a genus in 1846.234 It is one of two genera in this family, and was formerly classified in the related family Cyrillaceae. Purdiaea is native to tropical regions of the Caribbean (with the highest species diversity on Cuba), Central America and northern South America, further south than the related genus Clethra, the only other genus of this family.

The genus is composed of shrubs and small trees with alternating leaves.

Selected species
  • Purdiaea belizensis (A.C.Sm. & Standl.) J.L.Thomas – "Belize purdiaea", Central America.
  • Purdiaea cubensis (A.Rich.) Urb. – "Cuban purdiaea", "Clavellina", Southeast US, Cuba.
  • Purdiaea ekmanii Vict. – Cuba
  • Purdiaea microphylla Britton & P.Wilson – Cuba
  • Purdiaea nipensis Vict. & León – Cuba
  • Purdiaea nutans G.Planch. – Venezuela, Ecuador, Peru
  • Purdiaea ophiticola Vict. – Cuba
  • Purdiaea shaferi Britton – Cuba
  • Purdiaea stenopetala Griseb. – Cuba
  • Purdiaea tereosepala J.L.Thomas – Cuba
  • Purdiaea velutina Britton & P.Wilson – Cuba
References

References

  1. "Purdiaea Planch". Plants of the World Online. Board of Trustees of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. 2017. Retrieved 22 August 2020.
  2. Planchon, Jules Émile. 1846. London Journal of Botany 5: 250-254 descriptions in Latin, commentary in French
  3. Planchon, Jules Émile. 1846. London Journal of Botany 5: plate IX line drawing as illustration
  4. Tropicos, Purdiaea Planch.
External links