| Pandanus | |
|---|---|
| Fruit of Pandanus utilis | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| (unranked): | Angiosperms |
| (unranked): | Monocots |
| Order: | Pandanales |
| Family: | Pandanaceae |
| Genus: | Pandanus Parkinson |
| Species | |
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Pandanus is a genus of monocots with about 600 known species.[1] They are numerous palmlike dioecious trees and shrubs native of the Old World tropics and subtropics. They are classified in the order Pandanales, family Pandanaceae.[2][3]
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Often called Pandanus Palms, these plants are not closely related to palm trees. There are about 600 species of Pandanus in the world, and different species vary in size. They commonly have a broad canopy and heavy fruits.[4] The botanical family Pandanaceae consists of 3 genera, namely Sararanga with 2 species, Freycinetia (175 spp.), and Pandanus.[5] The genus vary in size from small shrubs less than 1 metre (3.3 ft) tall, up to medium-sized trees 20 metres (66 ft) tall, typically with a broad canopy and moderate growth rate. The trunk is stout, wide-branching, and ringed with many leaf scars. They commonly have many thick prop roots near the base, which provide support as the tree grows top-heavy with leaves, fruit, and branches. The leaves are strap-shaped, varying between species from 30 centimetres (12 in) up to 2 metres (6.6 ft) or more long, and from 1.5 centimetres (0.59 in) up to 10 centimetres (3.9 in) broad.
They are dioecious, with male and female flowers produced on different plants. The flowers of the male tree are 2–3 centimetres (0.79–1.2 in) long and fragrant, surrounded by narrow, white bracts. The female tree produces flowers with round fruits that are also bract-surrounded. The fruits are globose, 10–20 centimetres (3.9–7.9 in) in diameter, and have many prism-like sections, resembling the fruit of the pineapple. Typically, the fruit changes from green to bright orange or red as it matures. The fruit of some species are edible. Pandanus fruit are eaten by animals including bats, rats, crabs, elephants and monitor lizards, but the vast majority of species are dispersed primarily by water.[6]
They are numerous palmlike dioecious trees and shrubs of the Old World tropic growing from sea level to 3,300 m. Adventitious roots are often branched. Having large prop roots and a crown of narrow spiny leaves. [7][8] They are large shrubs or small trees of cultural, health, and economic importance in the Pacific, second only to coconut on atolls.[9][10] They grows wild mainly in seminatural vegetation in littoral habitats throughout the tropical and subtropical Pacific, where it can withstand drought, strong winds, and salt spray. They propagates readily from seed, but it is also widely propagated from branch cuttings by local people.[11] It grows fairly and quickly.[12][13] The genus is native to most of the tropical islands.[14] Three species of screwpine are commonly found in Maldives. Species with large and medium fruit are edible, is one of the iconic tree species of the New South Wales north coast.[15]
Some species grows on exposed coastal headlands and along beaches, and has thick 'prop roots' to anchor itself in the loose sand.[16][17] Those prop roots are roots on the stem of a plant, usually close to the ground, which helps to keep the plant upright and secure it to the ground.[18] Some species of Pandanus trees can grow up to 6 m high. They have long, thin, light green leaves, which grow in spirals on the plant's stems. As the plant grows, the leaves drop off, leaving 'scars' on the stems.[19] In some species of Pandanus fruits look a bit like a woody pineapple. They hang from the branches, and can stay on the tree for more than 12 months. The pandanus genus normally has not branches, only when old, are having branches.[20] Its strange appearance impact all travelers which find them. The trunk is covered with smooth, mottled bark. They have numerous adventitious roots hanging from the branches. The whole of roots forms a pyramidal tract to hold the trunk.[21]
While all pandanus is distributed in the tropical Pacific islands, low islands of the Polynesia and Micronesia are his favorite spot: covers the barren atolls.[22][23][24][25] The tree is grown and propagated from shoots that form spontaneously in the axils of lower leaves. Its fruit can float and spread to other islands without help from man. Other species are adapted to mountain habitat and riverine forest. [26]The fruit is a drupe.
Pandan is used for handicrafts. Craftswomen collect the pandan leaves from plants in the wild. Only the young leaves are cut so the plant will naturally regenerate. The young leaves are sliced in fine strips and sorted for further processing. Weavers produce basic pandan mats of standard size or roll the leaves into pandan ropes for other designs. This is followed by a coloring process, in which pandan mats are placed in drums with water-based colors. After drying, the colored mats are shaped into final products such as place mats or jewelry boxes. Final color touch-ups may be applied.
Pandan (P. amaryllifolius) leaves are used in Southeast Asian cooking to add a distinct aroma to rice and curry dishes such as nasi lemak, kaya ('jam') preserves, and desserts such as pandan cake. Pandan leaf can be used as a complement to chocolate in many dishes, such as ice cream. They are known as daun pandan in Indonesian and Malay; and 斑蘭 (bān lán) in Mandarin. Fresh leaves are typically torn into strips, tied in a knot to facilitate removal, placed in the cooking liquid, then removed at the end of cooking. Dried leaves and bottled extract may be bought in some places.
"Kewra" is extract distilled from the Pandanus flower, used to flavor drinks and desserts in Indian cuisine. Also, Kewra or Kewadaa is used in religious worship, and the leaves are used to make hair ornaments worn for their fragrance as well as decorative purpose in western India.[27]
Throughout Oceania almost every part of the plant is used, with various species different from those used in Southeast Asian cooking. Pandanus trees provide: