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 (Arecaceae: Arecoideae), 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 Spruce
Geonoma arundinacea Mart.
Geonoma aspidiifolia Spruce
Geonoma atrovirens Borchs. & Balslev
Geonoma baculifera (Poit.) Kunth
Geonoma brenesii Grayum
Geonoma brevispatha Barb.Rodr.
Geonoma brongniartii Mart.
Geonoma camana Trail
Geonoma chlamydostachys Galeano-Garcés
Geonoma chococola Wess.Boer
Geonoma concinna Burret
Geonoma congesta H.Wendl. ex Spruce
Geonoma cuneata H.Wendl. ex Spruce
Geonoma densa Linden & H.Wendl.
Geonoma deversa (Poit.) Kunth
Geonoma divisa H.E.Moore
Geonoma epetiolata H.E.Moore
Geonoma ferruginea H.Wendl. ex Spruce
Geonoma frontinensis
Geonoma gamiova Barb.Rodr.
Geonoma gastoniana Glaz. ex Drude
Geonoma hoffmanniana H.Wendl. ex Spruce
Geonoma hugonis Grayum & Nevers
Geonoma interrupta (Ruiz & Pav.) Mart.
Geonoma irena Borchs.
Geonoma jussieuana Mart. in A.D.d'Orbigny
Geonoma laxiflora Mart.
Geonoma leptospadix Trail
Geonoma linearis Burret
Geonoma longipedunculata Burret
Geonoma longivaginata H.Wendl. ex Spruce
Geonoma macrostachys Mart.
Geonoma maxima (Poit.) Mart.
Geonoma monospatha de Nevers
Geonoma mooreana de Nevers & Grayum
Geonoma myriantha Dammer
Geonoma oldemanii Granv.
Geonoma oligoclona Trail
Geonoma orbignyana Mart. in A.D.d'Orbigny
Geonoma paradoxa Burret
Geonoma paraguanensis H.Karst.
Geonoma pauciflora Mart.
Geonoma poeppigiana Mart. in A.D.d'Orbigny
Geonoma pohliana Mart.
Geonoma polyandra Skov
Geonoma polyneura Burret
Geonoma rubescens H.Wendl. ex Drude
Geonoma santanderensis Galeano & R.Bernal
Geonoma schottiana Mart.
Geonoma scoparia Grayum & Nevers
Geonoma seleri Burret
Geonoma simplicifrons Willd.
Geonoma spinescens H.Wendl.
Geonoma stricta (Poit.) Kunth
Geonoma supracostata Svenning
Geonoma talamancana Grayum
Geonoma tenuissima H.E.Moore
Geonoma triandra (Burret) Wess.Boer
Geonoma triglochin Burret
Geonoma trigona (Ruiz & Pav.) A.H.Gentry
Geonoma umbraculiformis Wess.Boer
Geonoma undata Klotzsch
Geonoma weberbaueri Dammer ex Burret
Geonoma wilsonii Galeano & R.Bernal
References
Trees of the Caribbean
Trees of Central America
Trees of South America
Arecaceae genera