Drypetes, Vahl, 1807, Vahl, 1807

Leyva, Luis Manuel & García-Beltrán, José Angel, 2024, Taxonomical update of the genus Drypetes (Malpighiales: Putranjivaceae) in Cuba, Phytotaxa 655 (1), pp. 54-64 : 62

Identification key

Based on the aforementioned, an identification key for the taxa of the genus present in the West Indies is presented below. For this purpose, vegetative and reproductive characters and their distribution, found in the descriptions of the different Caribbean floras herein cited, were used.

1. Leaves regularly dentate-spinescent....................................................................................................................... Drypetes ilicifolia

- Leaves entire, wavy or irregularly dentate-spinescent ......................................................................................................................2.

2. Leaves obtuse to rounded, subacuminate and abruptly acuminate at apex, no spiny-mucronate .....................................................3.

- Leaves tapering above middle to mostly mucro-spinescent apex .....................................................................................................8.

3. Ovary 2-locular with two styles ........................................................................................................................... Drypetes lateriflora

- Ovary 1-locular with one style ......................................................................................................................................................... 4.

4. Fruit assymetrical (oblique to slightly oblique).................................................................................................................................5.

- Fruit symmetrical...............................................................................................................................................................................6.

5. Stigma sessile ............................................................................................................................................ Drypetes alba subsp. alba

- Stigma on a short style (1 mm)............................................................................................................ Drypetes alba subsp. latifolia

6. Drupe 2.5–3 cm long ................................................................................................................................................... Drypetes dussii

- Drupe ≤ 2 cm long.............................................................................................................................................................................7.

7. Leaves monomorphous, margin always entire; sepals 4; stamens 6–8, filaments equal to sepals............................ Drypetes glauca

- Leaves dimorphous, margin dentate-spinescent in younger leaves and entire in mature leaves; sepals 5; stamens 8–10, filaments longer than sepals ............................................................................................................................................... Drypetes diversifolia

8. Fruit round-spherical; Hispaniola and Jamaica...................................................................................................... Drypetes picardae

- Fruit turbinate to pear-shaped; Bahamas and Cuba............................................................................................ Drypetes mucronata