Buddleja nitida is a species endemic to much of Central America, from southern Chiapas in Mexico south to the Sierra de Talamanca in northern Panama, where it grows on limestone slopes, in cloud forest, in clearings and pastures at altitudes of 2,000 – 4,000m. The species was first named and described by Bentham in 1846.

Description

Buddleja nitida is a tall shrub or small tree 4 – 15m high, with a trunk < 60cm in diameter, its exfoliating bark brown to black. The crown is dense and rounded, the young branches subquadrangular and tomentose, bearing oblong to lanceolate subcoriaceous leaves 3 – 10cm long by 1 – 3.5cm wide, glabrescent above, but with a strongly adpressed tomentum below. The leaves have petioles 1 – 3cm long. The yellow to orange inflorescence is paniculate, with 3 – 4 orders of branches, subtended by leaves or small bracts, the flowers grouped 3 – 5 in small cymules, 5 – 7mm in diameter; the corollas 2.5 – 3mm long. Ploidy: 2n = 76.