Pandanus amboinensis (PROSEA)

Plant Resources of South-East Asia Introduction

List of species

Pandanus amboinensis Warb.

Family: Pandanaceae

Synonyms

Pandanus biciliatus St. John, P. luteus St. John, P. sylvestris Kunth.

Vernacular names

• Indonesia: pandan gunung (Moluccas), keker ewang, leit ewang (Ambon).

Distribution

Indonesia (Ambon, Halmahera), New Guinea.

Uses

Because of their great length, the leaves are sought after in the Moluccas for the production of mats, which, however, are less durable than those made from the leaves of P. tectorius Parkinson. The wood is used to make tools for pounding sago ("nani"), and in Sulawesi it is split into laths, which are used to fix leaves for roofs. Durable gutters are made from the stem because the outer layer is harder than that of other Pandanus species; inside the stem is spongy and fibrous.

Observations

A dioecious tree 6-12 m tall, branched above, bearing prop roots. Leaves 2-2.5 m × 5-7 cm, stiff-coriaceous, margins and midrib with antrorse prickles, on margins large and small prickles alternating. Male inflorescence with boat-shaped bracts 45 cm × 8 cm, bearing 9-11, cylindrical spikes 20-25 cm × 7-10 mm, each with numerous phalanges with almost free stamens. Female inflorescence pendulous, solitary, peduncle longer than 25 cm; head ellipsoid-ovoid, 17 cm × 3.5 cm at anthesis, composed of numerous drupes. Fruit a syncarpous, yellow polydrupe, 35-42 cm × 8-10 cm; drupes 15-19 mm × 4-6 mm, 5- or 6-angled. P. amboinensis occurs in dense forest from sea-level up to about 1600 m altitude. According to B.C. Stone, P. adinobotrys is classified in subgenus Lophostigma, section Maysops .

Selected sources

71, 183.

Authors

M. Brink, P.C.M. Jansen & C.H. Bosch