Pandanus humilis (PROSEA)

Plant Resources of South-East Asia Introduction

List of species

Pandanus humilis Lour.

Family: Pandanaceae

Synonyms

Pandanus ovatus (Gaudich.) Kurz ex Warburg, P. perakensis Ridley, P. pierrei Martelli.

Vernacular names

• Malaysia: mengkuang tikus, pandan tikus, sendayan masing
• Cambodia: rumche:k (general)
• Laos: chiê:d (Louang Prabang)
• Thailand: kuu-wae teeku (Narathiwat), toei (Trat), toei nuu (Trang, Narathiwat)
• Vietnam: dửa nửi (Binh Tri Thiên), giửa (dửa) dại (Ha Nam Ninh).

Distribution

From north-eastern India through Burma (Myanmar), Thailand and Indo-China to Peninsular Malaysia.

Uses

The leaves are used to weave small articles such as pouches and bags. The fruits are edible although quite acidic.

Observations

A small, dioecious shrub with short stems and branches, up to 2.5 m tall. Leaves up to 2 m × 2.5 cm, margins and underside of midrib covered with prickles 1-3 mm long, longitudinal parallel veins about 50. Male inflorescence spicate with a raceme of 5-9 spikes; each spike 5-6 cm long, consisting of numerous, apparently free but compacted, almost sessile stamens. Female inflorescence with peduncle 20 cm long bearing 1-4 heads each one subtended by a bract; bracts navicular, up to 9 cm × 5 cm; cephalium ovoid, 7 cm × 6 cm, consisting of numerous distinct carpels. Fruit a syncarpous polydrupe; drupe 5-6-angled pyramidal, 25 mm × 4-5 mm, stigma spiniform, 10 mm long; upper mesocarp cavernose, lower mesocarp fibrous and fleshy; endocarp 8-9 mm long, hard. P. humilis is generally found in tropical monsoon forest and thickets on low hills, on rocky, often granitic soils, up to 1000 m altitude. According to B.C. Stone, P. humilis is classified in subgenus Acrostigma , section Acrostigma .

Selected sources

20, 50, 160, 179.

Authors

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