Abstract

ESPINOZA FLORES, Yaroslavi. Current status of the Palm collection (Arecaceae) of the Venezuelan National Herbarium (VEN). Rev. peru biol. [online]. 2008, vol.15, suppl.1, pp.97-102. ISSN 1727-9933.

The National Herbarium of Venezuela (VEN) has the largest collection of botanical specimens in the country, thus being the main source of reference for the flora of Venezuela. It also hosts a large number of specimens from other countries in the Neotropical region. The VEN contains approximately 400 000 specimens currently registered in the herbarium’s database, of which 2192 form the palm (Arecaceae) collection that encompasses 35 genera (including 5 foreign genera) and 127 specific and infraspecific taxa. The genera with the largest number of specimens are Geonoma (498) and Bactris (360), followed by Euterpe (158). The species Geonoma deversa (Poit.) Kunth contains the largest number of specimens in the collection (110). The herbarium hosts type material of 12 Arecaceae taxa: 4 holotypes, 1 lectotype, 5 isotypes and 2 isoneotypes. Most of the specimens at the VEN have been identified by specialists such as A. Henderson, F. Kahn, F. Stauffer and J. Wessels-Boer. A list of species found in the herbarium is presented herein. Review of specimen data at the VEN show that palms have been collected mainly in the following states of Venezuela: Amazonas, Bolivar, Zulia, Delta Amacuro, Aragua, Apure, and Distrito Capital. The main contribution to the collection of palms to the VEN is the collections made by J. A. Steyermark and F. Stauffer.

Keywords : Arecaceae; VEN Herbarium; palm collection; Venezuela.

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