Geonoma irena

Geonoma irena
Borchs.


Original
reference:

Nord. J. Bot. 16: 605 (1997)


Morphology:
Understorey palm. Stems clustered, 1-3 together, usually with suckers at base, 0-1 m tall and 4-5 cm in diameter. Leaf blade 100-150 cm long, with 6-10 unequal to nearly equal segments on each side. Inflorescence unbranched; peduncle 20-50 cm long; spike 20-30 cm long, 6-8 mm in diameter. Flowers of both sexes with persistent perianth. Male flowers with filaments straight at anthesis. Female flowers with staminodes united into a tube. Fruits green, but turning black immediately before they fall off.



Distribution:
Tropical moist forest in W Ecuador. Endemic.

Notes:
The combination of pinnately divided leaves, spicate inflorescence and persisting flower perianths is diagnostic



Conservation
status:
Endangered


IUCN criteria:
A1c, B1, B2c

(
Borchsenius & Skov 1999)


Specimen
list