Clethra cubensis A. Rich.

Clethra cubensis A. Rich, in Sagra, Hist. Cuba 11: 75. 1850
Clethra byrsonimoides Griseb. Mem. Am. Acad. II. 8: 170. 1860.
A shrub 1.5-2.5 m. high, the twigs densely brown-villous. Leaves subcoriaceous, elliptic to obovate; 10 cm. long or less, 2-5 cm. wide, obtuse, apiculate or acute at the apex, obtuse or acutish at the base, low-serrate with glandtipped teeth or subentire, glabrous above, pubescent on the veins beneath, finely reticulateveined on both sides, the stout villous petioles 2 cm. long or less; racemes several, clustered at the ends of the twigs, densely brown-villous, 7-10 cm. long; pedicels villous, 2-4 mm. long; bracts linear-lanceolate, villous, about as long as the pedicels; calyx-segments oblong, obtuse, tomentose, 2.5-3 mm. long; petals obovate, obtuse, white, entire or erose, a little longer than the sepals ; style very short ; capsule depressed, sunken at the top, 5 mm. broad, finely tomentose.
Type locality: Mt. Mogote, 1380 meters altitude, province of Santiago de Cuba, Cuba. Distribution: Mountains of Oriente, Cuba.