Clethra alexandri Griseb.

Clethra alexandri Griseb. Fl. Brit. W. Ind. 142. 1859
An irregularly branched shrub, about 2 m. high, the very stout twigs densely brownvillous. Leaves clustered near the ends of the twigs, elliptic to obovate, coriaceous, 12 cm. long or less, 2-6 cm. wide, acute or obtusish at the apex, mostly obtuse at the base, serrate with low gland-tipped teeth, or rarely subentire, villous on the upper side when young but becoming glabrous and dark-green, permanently villous-tomentose, reticulate-veined, and pale beneath, the veins prominent, the stout villous petioles 6-16 mm. long; racemes often as many as 1 0, villous-tomentose, 2.5 dm. long or less; bracts linear-lanceolate, densely villous, longer than the flowering pedicels; pedicels stout, as long as the calyx or shorter; calyx-segments villous, oblong, 4-5 mm. long ; petals white, obovate, a little longer than the sepals, nearly entire ; style about 3 mm. long; capsule densely villous, 4-5 mm. thick.
Type locality: Summits of the Blue Mountains, Jamaica. Distribution: Known only from the type locality.