At the seedling stage, Attalea sensu lato species are recognizable by the lanceolate eophylls with dentate upper margins and latter by the asymmetrical pinna apex with a lateral projection, brownish on the abaxial side (Fig. 3). These characters make Attalea s.l. instantly recognizable at any developmental stage, while any further identification generally requires flowers and fruits. Wessels Boer (1965) gave a lengthy argumentation in favor of a single genus Attalea. Henderson and Balick (1991) provided additional arguments upon examining a poorly known species, Attalea crassispatha.