Geonoma deversa

Geonoma deversa
(Poit.) Kunth

Original
reference:
Enum. Pl. 3: 231 (1841)

Morphology:
Understorey palm. Stems clustered, slender, to 3 m long and ca. 1 cm in diameter. Leaf blade 40-65 cm long, simple or pinnately divided, with up to 10 pinnae on each side, commonly divided into three broad pinnae on each side. Inflorescence branched 1-3 times; flower bearing branches slender, ca. 2 mm in diameter, with rather densely positioned flower pits arranged in whorls of three, particularly towards the apex of the branches. Female flowers with staminodes united into a tube.

Distribution:
Widespread in lowland and premontane areas in Central and South America, in tropical moist to wet forest. In Ecuador it is found on both sides of the Andes.

Notes:
The species is very variable, and may include more than one morphological form.

Common
names:
Chontilla
–
Spanish
(H. Balslev #4791 ).

Chontilla de loma
–
Spanish
(H. Balslev #4300 ).

Chontilla del monte
–
Spanish
(H. Balslev #4300 ).

Ñu-guan-né´
–
Siona
(H. Balslev #62054 ).

Sute-dé-dé
–
Siona
(H. Balslev #4791 ).

Sute-dére
–
Siona
(H. Balslev #4300 ).

Chontillo
–
Spanish
(H. Balslev #4312 ).

Huasöne
–
Siona
(H. Balslev #4312 ).

Uses:

Fresh leaves are used for tapping baskets with fruits or other goods
(H. Balslev #4300 ).

The stem is used for cleaning shotguns
(H. Balslev #4312 ).

Synonym
list
(15)