List of Arecaceae genera explained

This is a list of all the genera in the botanical family Arecaceae, the palm family, based on Baker & Dransfield (2016),^[1] which is a revised listing of genera given in the 2008 edition of Genera Palmarum.^[2]

Taxonomy

This is a list of all the genera in the botanical family Arecaceae, the palm family, arranged by tribes and subtribes within the family.^[1]

Genera Palmarum (2008) lists 183 genera.^[2] Lanonia, Saribus, and the monotypic genera Jailoloa, Wallaceodoxa, Manjekia,^[3] and Sabinaria, which were described after 2008, have also been included below. Ceratolobus, Daemonorops, Pogonotium, Wallichia, Lytocaryum, and the monotypic genera Retispatha, Pritchardiopsis, and Solfia have since been removed from Genera Palmarum (2008) as obsolete genera. This brings the total number of genera to 181 as of 2016.^[1]

Phylogenetic tree of Arecaceae.^[4]

Subfamily Calamoideae

Tribe Eugeissoneae
- Eugeissona – Borneo, Malay Peninsula
Tribe Lepidocaryeae – Africa and South America
- Subtribe Ancistrophyllinae – Africa
  - Oncocalamus – Central Africa
  - Eremospatha – Africa
  - Laccosperma – Africa
- Subtribe Raphiinae
  - Raphia – Africa, Madagascar, parts of South America
- Subtribe Mauritiinae – northern South America
  - Lepidocaryum – central Amazon basin; monotypic genus
  - Mauritia – northern South America
  - Mauritiella – northern South America
Tribe Calameae – Africa and Asia
- Subtribe Korthalsiinae
  - Korthalsia – Malesia, New Guinea, Indochina
- Subtribe Salaccinae – Malesia, Indochina
  - Eleiodoxa – Malay Peninsula, Sumatra, Borneo; monotypic genus
  - Salacca – Malesia, Indochina
- Subtribe Metroxylinae
  - Metroxylon – New Guinea, Melanesia
- Subtribe Pigafettinae
  - Pigafetta – Sulawesi, Moluccas and New Guinea
- Subtribe Plectocomiinae – Malesia, Indochina
  - Plectocomia – Malesia, Indochina
  - Myrialepis – Malesia, Malay Peninsula, Sumatra; monotypic genus
  - Plectocomiopsis – Malesia, Indochina
- Subtribe Calaminae – Africa, Asia
  - Calamus – Africa, Asia

Obselete genera:

Calospatha (synonym of Calamus)^[5] – Malay Peninsula
Daemonorops (syn. of Calamus)^[5] – Malesia, Indochina
Ceratolobus (syn. of Calamus)^[5] – Malay Peninsula, Sumatra, Borneo
Pogonotium (syn. of Calamus)^[5] – northern Borneo

Subfamily Nypoideae

Nypa

Subfamily Coryphoideae

Tribe Sabaleae
- Sabal – Caribbean, Gulf of Mexico, Mexico
Tribe Cryosophileae – Americas
- Schippia – Guatemala and Belize; monotypic genus
- Trithrinax – south-central South America
- Zombia – Hispaniola; monotypic genus
- Coccothrinax – Caribbean
- Hemithrinax – Cuba
- Leucothrinax – northern Caribbean; monotypic genus
- Thrinax – Caribbean and Central America
- Chelyocarpus – Peru and nearby
- Cryosophila – Central America
- Itaya – Amazon basin; monotypic genus
- Sabinaria – Colombia and Panama; monotypic genus
Tribe Phoeniceae
- Phoenix – Africa and Asia
Tribe Trachycarpeae
- Subtribe Rhapidinae
  - Chamaerops – Mediterranean; monotypic genus
  - Guihaia – Vietnam and China
  - Trachycarpus – southern China, northern Indochina, Himalayas
  - Rhapidophyllum – Florida; monotypic genus
  - Maxburretia – Malay Peninsula
  - Rhapis – Indochina, Aceh
- Subtribe Livistoninae
  - Livistona – Indomalaya, Australasia, Gulf of Aden
  - Licuala – Indochina, Malesia, Melanesia
  - Johannesteijsmannia – Malay Peninsula and nearby parts of Sumatra and Borneo
  - Pholidocarpus – Malaysia, northern Indonesia
  - Saribus – Malesia, New Guinea, Island Melanesia
  - Lanonia – southern China, Indochina, Java
- Unplaced members of Trachycarpeae
  - Acoelorraphe – Central America, Cuba, Bahamas, Florida; monotypic genus
  - Serenoa – Florida, US Gulf Coast except Texas; monotypic genus
  - Brahea – Mexico, Central America
  - Colpothrinax – Central America, Cuba
  - Copernicia – Greater Antilles, South America
  - Pritchardia – Polynesia
  - Washingtonia – Baja California, Colorado River region
Tribe Chuniophoeniceae
- Chuniophoenix – Vietnam, southern China
- Kerriodoxa – southern Thailand; monotypic genus
- Nannorrhops – SE Arabia, SE Iran, SW Pakistan; monotypic genus
- Tahina – NW Madagascar; monotypic genus
Tribe Caryoteae – Indomalaya, Australasia
- Caryota – Indomalaya, Australasia
- Arenga – Indomalaya, Australasia
Tribe Corypheae
- Corypha – Indomalaya, Australasia
Tribe Borasseae – Africa and Asia
- Subtribe Hyphaenieae – Africa, Indian Ocean
  - Bismarckia – W Madagascar; monotypic genus
  - Satranala – NE Madagascar; monotypic genus
  - Hyphaene – Africa, Indian Ocean
  - Medemia – Upper Nile (Sudan, Egypt); monotypic genus
- Subtribe Lataniieae – Africa and Asia
  - Latania – Mascarenes
  - Lodoicea – Seychelles; monotypic genus
  - Borassodendron – Malay Peninsula, Borneo
  - Borassus – Africa and Asia

Obsolete genera:

Pritchardiopsis – New Caledonia
Wallichia – Indochina, Himalayas; accepted by Plants of the World Online ^[6]

Subfamily Ceroxyloideae

Tribe Cyclospatheae
- Pseudophoenix – Greater Antilles and nearby
Tribe Ceroxyleae
- Ceroxylon – northern Andes
- Juania – Juan Fernández Islands; monotypic genus
- Oraniopsis – Queensland; monotypic genus
- Ravenea – Madagascar and Comoros
Tribe Phytelepheae – NW South America, Panama, Costa Rica
- Ammandra – Colombia, Ecuador; monotypic genus
- Aphandra – western Amazon basin; monotypic genus
- Phytelephas – NW South America, Panama, Costa Rica

Subfamily Arecoideae

Tribe Iriarteeae – northern South America
- Iriartella – northern South America
- Dictyocaryum – northern Andes, parts of Amazons
- Iriartea – NW South America, Central America; monotypic genus
- Socratea – northern South America, Central America
- Wettinia – NW South America
Tribe Chamaedoreeae – Americas, Mascarenes
- Hyophorbe – Mascarenes
- Wendlandiella – Peruvian Amazon
- Synechanthus – Central America, Colombia, Ecuador
- Chamaedorea – Central America, NW South America
- Gaussia – Mexico, Belize, Cuba
Tribe Podococceae
- Podococcus – Nigeria, Cameroon, Equatorial Guinea
Tribe Oranieae
- Orania – Malesia, New Guinea, Madagascar
Tribe Sclerospermeae
- Sclerosperma – Central Africa
Tribe Roystoneeae
- Roystonea – Caribbean
Tribe Reinhardtieae
- Reinhardtia – Central America
Tribe Cocoseae
- Subtribe Attaleinae
  - Beccariophoenix – Madagascar
  - Jubaeopsis – South Africa; monotypic genus
  - Voanioala – NE Madagascar; monotypic genus
  - Allagoptera – Central South America
  - Attalea – Americas
  - Butia – SE South America
  - Cocos – cosmopolitan; monotypic genus
  - Jubaea – Chile; monotypic genus
  - Syagrus – South America
  - Parajubaea – Andes
- Subtribe Bactridinae – Americas
  - Acrocomia – Americas
  - Astrocaryum – Americas
  - Aiphanes – NW South America, Caribbean
  - Bactris – South America, Central America, Caribbean
  - Desmoncus – South America, Central America
- Subtribe Elaeidinae
  - Barcella – northern Brazil; monotypic genus
  - Elaeis – Africa, northern South America
Tribe Manicarieae
- Manicaria – northern South America
Tribe Euterpeae – South America, Central America, Caribbean
- Hyospathe – northern South America
- Euterpe – South America, Central America
- Prestoea – northern South America, Caribbean
- Neonicholsonia – Central America; monotypic genus
- Oenocarpus – South America
Tribe Geonomateae – Americas
- Welfia – Central America, Colombia, Ecuador
- Pholidostachys – NW South America, Panama, Costa Rica
- Calyptrogyne – Central America
- Calyptronoma – Greater Antilles
- Asterogyne – northern South America, Central America
- Geonoma – Americas
Tribe Leopoldinieae
- Leopoldinia – Central Amazon basin
Tribe Pelagodoxeae – New Guinea, Oceania
- Pelagodoxa – Marquesas Islands; monotypic genus
- Sommieria – NW New Guinea; monotypic genus
Tribe Areceae – Malesia, Australasia, Madagascar
- Subtribe Archontophoenicinae – New Guinea, Australia, New Caledonia
  - Actinorhytis – New Guinea; monotypic genus
  - Archontophoenix – eastern Australia
  - Actinokentia – New Caledonia
  - Chambeyronia – New Caledonia
  - Kentiopsis – New Caledonia
- Subtribe Arecinae – Indochina, Malesia, New Guinea
  - Areca – Indochina, Malesia, New Guinea
  - Nenga – Malay Peninsula, Sumatra, Borneo, Java
  - Pinanga – Indochina, Malesia, New Guinea
- Subtribe Basseliniinae – Island Melanesia
  - Basselinia – New Caledonia
  - Burretiokentia – New Caledonia
  - Cyphophoenix – New Caledonia
  - Cyphosperma – New Caledonia, Vanuatu, Fiji
  - Lepidorrhachis – Lord Howe Island; monotypic genus
  - Physokentia – Island Melanesia
- Subtribe Carpoxylinae – Island Melanesia, Ryukyu Islands
  - Carpoxylon – northern Vanuatu; monotypic genus
  - Satakentia – Ryukyu Islands; monotypic genus
  - Neoveitchia – Vanuatu, Fiji
- Subtribe Clinospermatinae – New Caledonia
  - Cyphokentia – New Caledonia
  - Clinosperma – New Caledonia
- Subtribe Dypsidinae – Madagascar, Comoros
  - Dypsis – Madagascar, Comoros
  - Lemurophoenix – NE Madagascar; monotypic genus
  - Marojejya – E Madagascar
  - Masoala – E Madagascar
- Subtribe Laccospadicinae – New Guinea, E Australia
  - Calyptrocalyx – New Guinea
  - Linospadix – New Guinea, E Australia
  - Howea – Lord Howe Island
  - Laccospadix – northern Queensland; monotypic genus
- Subtribe Oncospermatinae – Malesia, Sri Lanka, Seychelles, Mascarenes
  - Oncosperma – Malesia
  - Deckenia – Seychelles; monotypic genus
  - Acanthophoenix – Mascarenes
  - Tectiphiala – Mauritius; monotypic genus
- Subtribe Ptychospermatinae – Australasia
  - Ptychosperma – New Guinea, northern Australia
  - Ponapea – Caroline Islands, Bismarcks
  - Adonidia – Palawan
  - Balaka – Fiji, Samoa
  - Veitchia – Vanuatu, Fiji
  - Carpentaria – Northern Territory; monotypic genus
  - Wodyetia – northern Queensland; monotypic genus
  - Drymophloeus – NW New Guinea, Bismarcks, Solomon Islands, Samoa
  - Normanbya – northern Queensland; monotypic genus
  - Brassiophoenix – Papua New Guinea
  - Ptychococcus – New Guinea
  - Jailoloa – Halmahera; monotypic genus
  - Manjekia – Biak; monotypic genus
  - Wallaceodoxa – Raja Ampat Islands; monotypic genus
- Subtribe Rhopalostylidinae – New Zealand
  - Rhopalostylis – New Zealand, Chatham Islands, Norfolk Island, and Kermadec Islands
  - Hedyscepe – Lord Howe Island; monotypic genus
- Subtribe Verschaffeltiinae – Seychelles
  - Nephrosperma – Seychelles; monotypic genus
  - Phoenicophorium – Seychelles; monotypic genus
  - Roscheria – Seychelles; monotypic genus
  - Verschaffeltia – Seychelles; monotypic genus
- Unplaced members of Areceae
  - Bentinckia – South India, Nicobars
  - Clinostigma – western Oceania
  - Cyrtostachys – Malesia, New Guinea, Solomon Islands
  - Dictyosperma – Mascarenes; monotypic genus
  - Dransfieldia – West Papua; monotypic genus
  - Heterospathe – Philippines, New Guinea, Island Melanesia
  - Hydriastele – Australasia
  - Iguanura – Malay Peninsula, Sumatra, Borneo
  - Loxococcus – Sri Lanka; monotypic genus
  - Rhopaloblaste – New Guinea, Solomon Islands, Malay Peninsula, Nicobar Islands

Obsolete genera:

Lytocaryum – Brazil
Solfia – Samoa

Geographical distributions

Below are geographical distributions of all the genera in the botanical family Arecaceae, following the 2008 edition of Genera Palmarum (pp. 647-650).^[2]

Islands and archipelagos with large numbers of endemic genera include New Caledonia, Lord Howe Island, New Guinea, Sri Lanka, Madagascar, Seychelles, and the Mascarenes.

Old World

Arabia

Australia (see also Lord Howe Island)

Borneo

China

Europe, North Africa, Egypt, Asia Minor

Fiji and Samoa

Hawaii

Pritchardia

India, including Andamans and Nicobars

Indochina

Iran, Afghanistan, Pakistan

Java

Lesser Sunda Islands

Lord Howe Island

Madagascar and Comoros

Malay Peninsula

Marquesas

Pelagodoxa

Mascarenes

Micronesia

Moluccas

Myanmar

New Caledonia

New Guinea and the Bismarck Archipelago

New Hebrides

New Zealand

Rhopalostylis

Philippines

Ryukyu Islands

Seychelles

Solomon Islands

Sri Lanka (Ceylon)

Sulawesi

Sumatra

Thailand

Africa

Sub-Saharan Africa (i.e., Africa, but excluding North Africa) has 16 genera and 65 species.^[2]

Tropical West Africa

Tropical East Africa

Southern Africa

New World

See also: List of palms native to the Caribbean. There are 65 genera and 730 species in the New World.^[2]

Argentina

Bolivia

Brazil

Central America

Chile (see also Juan Fernández Islands)

Jubaea

Colombia

Ecuador

Greater Antilles (Cuba, Hispaniola, Jamaica, Puerto Rico)

Guianas

Juan Fernández Islands

Juania

Lesser Antilles

Mexico

Paraguay

Peru

Uruguay

USA (continental)

Venezuela, Trinidad and Tobago

Extinct genera

Paschalococos – Extinct in around AD 800 to 1600
Latanites – Middle Eocene to Early-Middle Oligocene
Palaeoraphe – Miocene to around late Pliocene or early Pleistocene
Palmoxylon – Late Cretaceous to Miocene
Phoenicites – Cretaceous to Miocene
Sabalites – Late Cretaceous to Miocene

External links

Classification on Palmweb

Notes and References

Baker. William J.. Dransfield. John. 2016. Beyond Genera Palmarum: progress and prospects in palm systematics. Botanical Journal of the Linnean Society. en. 182. 2. 207–233. 10.1111/boj.12401. free.
Book: Genera Palmarum: The Evolution and Classification of Palms. John. Dransfield. Natalie W.. Uhl. Conny B.. Asmussen. William J.. Baker. Madeline M.. Harley. Carl E.. Lewis. 2008. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. 978-1-84246-182-2.
Three new genera of arecoid palm (Arecaceae) from eastern Malesia . 2014 . Heatubun . Charlie D. . Zona . Scott . Baker . William J. . Kew Bulletin . 69 . 3 . 9525 . 10.1007/s12225-014-9525-x . 2014KewBu..69.9525H . 24848021 .
A plastid phylogenomic framework for the palm family Arecaceae . 2023 . 10.1186/s12915-023-01544-y . free . Yao . Gang . Zhang . Yu-Qu . Barrett . Craig . Xue . Bine . Bellot . Sidonie . Baker . William J. . Ge . Xue-Jun . BMC Biology . 21 . 36882831 . 9993706 .
Calamus L... 325996-2. 2024-03-21. cs1.
Wallichia Roxb... 31556-1. 2024-04-23. cs1.