Geoffroea

Taxobox
name = "Geoffroea"

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image_width = 240px
image_caption = Flowering "Geoffroea decorticans" in detail
regnum = Plantae
divisio = Magnoliophyta
classis = Magnoliopsida
ordo = Fabales
familia = Fabaceae
subfamilia = Faboideae
genus = "Geoffroea"
genus_authority = (Gillies ex Hook. & Arn.) Burkart
subdivision_ranks = Species
subdivision = "Geoffroea decorticans" "Geoffroea inermis" "Geoffroea spinosa" "Geoffroea surinamensis"

"Geoffroea" is a rather small genus of wild spiny shrubs or small trees of tropical and subtropical South America. Although it gathers few species, they are highly extended geographically throughout the subcontinent. Each specie is well known in its local area, as seen from the varied (and mostly domestic) usage of these trees as food, timber or fuel.

Taxonomy of "Geoffroea" genus is not uncomplicated matter due to the large available number of binomial synnonims found in literature, sometimes referring to a same specie. Also, this Fabaceae genus has been alternatively linked to the subfamily Papilionoideae or Faboideae (alternative name used in some classification systems for the family Papilionaceae or Fabaceae). Anyhow, Geoffroeas are listed among the legumes to which they belong.

References

* [http://www.ars-grin.gov/cgi-bin/npgs/html/splist.pl?4917 GRIN - Germplasm Resources information network. Genus: Geoffroea]
* Burkart, A. E. "Las leguminosas Argentinas - silvestres y cultivadas" 2nd Edition. 1952
* Howard, R. A. "The Enumeratio and Selectarum of Nicolaus von Jacquin" 1973
* Ireland, H. & R. T. Pennington. "A revision of Geoffroea (Leguminosae-Papilionoideae)". Edinburgh J. Bot. 1999