Geonoma
Geonoma is a genus of small to medium-sized palms native to the forest understorey of tropical Central and South America.
This palm genus is one of the largest in the Neotropics. Its 64 species are distributed from Mexico and Haiti in the north to Paraguay in the south; two are found in the Lesser Antilles.
Uses
In South America, the leaves of species such as Geonoma deversa, Geonoma orbignyana, and Geonoma macrostachys are economically important for their use in thatching roofs.
Taxonomy
The genus is a member of the palm tribe Geonomateae, an important Neotropical group due to its wide distribution across Central and South America, its diversity and abundance, and the use of a number of species by local human populations. The distribution of the tribe Geonomeae stretches from southeast Mexico down through Central America and into South America, notably Brazil and Bolivia, and species are also found in the Greater and Lesser Antilles. This tribe consists of a group of understory and sub-canopy palms that populate both tropical lowland and montane forests. While members of this group are relatively easy to collect, as they are not canopy palms or spiny palms, and are well represented in herbaria, the taxonomy and phylogeny of the species within the tribe are still uncertain. The resolution of the tribe has been disputed despite the fact that Geonomateae species are characterized by three morphological synapomorphies: the petals of pistillate flowers are basally connate, the presence of slender and elongate styles, and the flowers are borne in pits in the rachillae.
Species
The following species are currently recognized:Geonoma appuniana SpruceGeonoma arundinacea Mart.Geonoma aspidiifolia SpruceGeonoma atrovirens Borchs. & BalslevGeonoma baculifera KunthGeonoma brenesii GrayumGeonoma brevispatha Barb.Rodr.Geonoma brongniartii Mart.Geonoma camana TrailGeonoma chlamydostachys Galeano-GarcésGeonoma chococola Wess.BoerGeonoma concinna BurretGeonoma congesta H.Wendl. ex SpruceGeonoma cuneata H.Wendl. ex SpruceGeonoma densa Linden & H.Wendl.Geonoma deversa KunthGeonoma divisa H.E.MooreGeonoma epetiolata H.E.MooreGeonoma ferruginea H.Wendl. ex SpruceGeonoma frontinensisGeonoma gamiova Barb.Rodr.Geonoma gastoniana Glaz. ex DrudeGeonoma hoffmanniana H.Wendl. ex SpruceGeonoma hugonis Grayum & NeversGeonoma interrupta Mart.Geonoma irena Borchs.Geonoma jussieuana Mart. in A.D.d'OrbignyGeonoma laxiflora Mart.Geonoma leptospadix TrailGeonoma linearis BurretGeonoma longipedunculata BurretGeonoma longivaginata H.Wendl. ex SpruceGeonoma macrostachys Mart.Geonoma maxima Mart.Geonoma monospatha de NeversGeonoma mooreana de Nevers & GrayumGeonoma myriantha DammerGeonoma oldemanii Granv.Geonoma oligoclona TrailGeonoma orbignyana Mart. in A.D.d'OrbignyGeonoma paradoxa BurretGeonoma paraguanensis H.Karst.Geonoma pauciflora Mart.Geonoma poeppigiana Mart. in A.D.d'OrbignyGeonoma pohliana Mart.Geonoma polyandra SkovGeonoma polyneura BurretGeonoma rubescens H.Wendl. ex DrudeGeonoma santanderensis Galeano & R.BernalGeonoma schottiana Mart.Geonoma scoparia Grayum & NeversGeonoma seleri BurretGeonoma simplicifrons Willd.Geonoma spinescens H.Wendl.Geonoma stricta KunthGeonoma supracostata SvenningGeonoma talamancana GrayumGeonoma tenuissima H.E.MooreGeonoma triandra Wess.BoerGeonoma triglochin BurretGeonoma trigona A.H.GentryGeonoma umbraculiformis Wess.BoerGeonoma undata KlotzschGeonoma weberbaueri Dammer ex BurretGeonoma wilsonii Galeano & R.Bernal