Pandanus bicornis (PROSEA)

Plant Resources of South-East Asia Introduction

List of species

Pandanus bicornis Ridley

Family: Pandanaceae

Vernacular names

• Indonesia: pandan sepejam (Palembang).

Distribution

Peninsular Malaysia and Indonesia (Sumatra).

Uses

Older leaves are woven into mats and coarse hats which are worn in the field. The durability is less than that of material from P. furcatus Roxb.

Observations

A dioecious shrub, 30-60 cm tall. Leaves linear, 60 cm × 5 cm, margins and underside of midrib with prickles, apex abruptly caudate with 7 cm long tail. Male inflorescence unknown. Female inflorescence a solitary head, cylindrical to subglobose, about 10 cm in diameter, in axil of broad ovate bract 15 cm long with 5 cm long tail at apex; drupes 18 mm × 12 mm, with free, obscurely angled, broad top; stigma with 2 short horns 3 mm long. P. bicornis grows in dense forest at 800-1000 m altitude. According to B.C. Stone, P. bicornis is classified in subgenus Rykia , section Rykia .

Selected sources

71, 147, 176.

Authors

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