Purdiaea

{{Short description|Genus of flowering plants}}

{{automatic taxobox

|image = Purdiaea_cubensis_var._cubensis.jpg

|image_caption = Purdiaea cubensis var. cubensis

|taxon = Purdiaea

|authority = Planch.

|synonyms =

• Alloiosepalum Gilg
• Costaea A.Rich.
• Schizocardia A.C.Sm. & Standl.

|synonyms_ref ={{cite web |url=https://powo.science.kew.org/taxon/urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:14111-1 |title=Purdiaea Planch. |author= |date=2017 |website=Plants of the World Online |publisher=Board of Trustees of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew |access-date=22 August 2020 }}

}}

Purdiaea is a genus of flowering plants in the family Clethraceae described as a genus in 1846.[https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/775619#page/255/mode/1up Planchon, Jules Émile. 1846. London Journal of Botany 5: 250-254 ] descriptions in Latin, commentary in French[https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/775619#page/679/mode/1up Planchon, Jules Émile. 1846. London Journal of Botany 5: plate IX] line drawing as illustration[http://www.tropicos.org/Name/40020806 Tropicos, Purdiaea Planch.] 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