[2][3] The entire genus is endemic to Brazil.
[1][4] Joannesia is a taxonomic patronym honoring the king John VI of Portugal.
[5] The name Joannesia yielded a taxonomic anagram for the confamilial genus Annesijoa.
[6] He thus created an illegitimate homonym, contrary to the rules of nomenclature.
So the one species name that he had created in this illegitimate genus had to be renamed, as follows:[7]