There are 71 genera of palms known to occur in the New World, but only about one-third of these genera are well collected and well known taxonomically. This is unfortunate because palms are important components of tropical forests and savannas, and are also widely used as crops. Drs. Andrew Henderson and Michael Balick of the New York Botanical Garden are conducting field work in South America along with herbarium and laboratory studies to determine the species composition and geographical ranges of two poorly known genera, Euterpe and Prestoea. Prestoea contains an estimated 35 species, while Euterpe contains about ten; both are widely distributed in Central and South America. Euterpe is economically significant as a source of palm "hearts." Their taxonomic studies will be based on morphological and anatomical analyses of flowers, fruits, leaves, and stems. Material will also be sent to Cornell University for molecular studies by Drs. Doyle and Uhl on the palm family and its evolution. Field work will be conducted with the collaboration of the Colombian botanist, Dr. Gloria Galeano- Garces.
