''Phenakospermum'' is a monotypic

genus Genus (; : genera ) is a taxonomic rank above species and below family (taxonomy), family as used in the biological classification of extant taxon, living and fossil organisms as well as Virus classification#ICTV classification, viruses. In bino ...

in the

family Family (from ) is a Social group, group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or Affinity (law), affinity (by marriage or other relationship). It forms the basis for social order. Ideally, families offer predictabili ...

Strelitziaceae The Strelitziaceae comprise a family (biology), family of monocotyledonous flowering plants, very similar in appearance and growth habit to members of the related families Heliconiaceae and Musaceae (banana family). The three genera with seven sp ...

. Only one species is recognized, ''Phenakospermum guyannense'', native to

Suriname Suriname, officially the Republic of Suriname, is a country in northern South America, also considered as part of the Caribbean and the West Indies. It is a developing country with a Human Development Index, high level of human development; i ...

French Guiana French Guiana, or Guyane in French, is an Overseas departments and regions of France, overseas department and region of France located on the northern coast of South America in the Guianas and the West Indies. Bordered by Suriname to the west ...

and the eastern Amazon River basin. This plant grows to over in height but can be felled with a single blow with a

machete A machete (; ) is a broad blade used either as an agricultural implement similar to an axe, or in combat like a long-bladed knife. The blade is typically long and usually under thick. In the Spanish language, the word is possibly a dimin ...

. Although not as prized as the ornamental Traveler's palm (in the same family), ''P. guyannense'' is used locally in Brazil as a landscape element. The broad leaves are used to wrap fish in Benevides, Brazil, especially when ''

Calathea ''Calathea'' is a genus of flowering plants belonging to the family Marantaceae. They are commonly called calatheas or (like their relatives) prayer plants. About 200 species formerly assigned to ''Calathea'' are now in the genus '' Goeppertia''. ...

'' leaves (

Marantaceae The Marantaceae are a family, the arrowroot family, or the prayer plant family, of flowering plants consisting of 31 genera and around 530 species, defining it as one of the most species-rich families in its order. Kennedy, H. (2000). “Diversif ...

) are not available. Previously, this genus was included in the now exclusively old world genus ''

Ravenala ''Ravenala'' is a genus of monocotyledonous flowering plants. Classically, the genus was considered to include a single species, ''Ravenala madagascariensis'' from Madagascar. Taxonomy Species of the genus ''Ravenala'' are not true palms (famil ...

''.

References

* * {{Taxonbar, from1=Q311959, from2=Q3700839 Monotypic Zingiberales genera Strelitziaceae Trees of Bolivia Trees of Suriname Trees of Guyana Trees of Peru Trees of Brazil Trees of Colombia Trees of Ecuador Trees of Venezuela Trees of French Guiana Taxa named by Friedrich Anton Wilhelm Miquel