XVI International Botanical Congess

The genus Purdiaea is formed by shrubs or little trees with simple, alternate leaves, the racemes have beautiful pink or violet flowers and the quincuncial calyx encloses the dry fruit helping its dispersion. The last papers (Thomas 1960, 1961, Berazaín and Rodríguez 1992) report eleven species: one in Belize, nine in Cuba, one in Venezuela, Colombia and Peru. The study of the morphological characters, chiefly in the cataphylls, leaves and sepals in material of GH, F, HAC, HAJB, JE, MO, NY, P, US Herbaria processed by the statistical program NTSYS had as results the report of eight new species (ten taxa) and the geographical distribution is increased, thus the genus as: 19 species (23 taxa) as follow: one species (2 taxa) in Belize, Guatemala, Panama, 13 species (16 taxa) in Cuba, four species (five taxa) in Venezuela, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru. The filogenetic relationships are discussed and a key is provided.