Scientists in 48 countries have come together to get a better understanding of where palm trees grow.
Dr Thaise Emilio from Kew Gardens worked on the project, which aimed to find out how rainforests could respond to climate change.
They found that palms are over five times more numerous in South America than Asia and Africa.
The research, published in the Global Ecology and Biogeography journal, also showed that they grow in wet areas with less fertile soil.