Taxonomy, distribution, and conservation status of <i>Geonoma</i> (Arecaceae, Arecoideae): new records for the Maranhão state, Brazil

Abstract

Geonoma is one of the more diverse genera of palms in the neotropical region, which comprises 68 species distributed from southern Mexico to south-western Brazil. In Maranhão, a Brazilian state located in a transition area between the Eastern Amazon, the Cerrado, and the Caatinga, the knowledge about this genus still is deficient. For this reason, we elaborated a taxonomic study of the genus Geonoma for the state, based on the descriptive analysis of voucher specimens of national and international herbaria, and specimens collected in our expeditions. A total of five species were identified: G. baculifera and G. leptospadix species were previously cited in the literature, whereas G. maxima subsp. maxima, G. pohliana subsp. weddelliana and G. poiteauana are presented as new records. Taxonomic descriptions and distribution information are shared, as well as preliminary conservation status assessments of these species. Moreover, an identification key for all species in the state is also supplied. These findings extend the distribution and conservation knowledge of some Geonoma species, and are an important contribution to the identification of the taxa in the region.