Key to the four morphologically similar species to M. claudiae:

1 Adult leaves with deeply cleft apex and pendulous fruits.................................................................................................... M. javieri

- Adult leaves with apex different from above .....................................................................................................................................2

2 Plants a shrub ≤ 3 m in height; flowers with connivent petals at maturity and grey outer sepals..................................... M. claudiae

- Plants a tree> 3 m tall; flowers with the perianth diverging at maturity, sepals white......................................................................3

3 Petals 8.3 to 8.5 cm long, stamens 73 to 76; carpels 34 to 39, fruit 7.0– 7.5 cm long..................................................... M. archilana

- Petals 6.5 to 7.0 cm long, stamens 92 to 98; carpels 22 to 25, fruits 4.8 to 5.2 cm long ........................................ M. guatemalensis