Pandanus kurzii (PROSEA)

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Plant Resources of South-East Asia
Introduction
List of species


Pandanus kurzii Merr.


Family: Pandanaceae

Synonyms

Pandanus asper St. John, P. caricosus sensu Kurz, non Sprengel.

Vernacular names

  • Indonesia: pandan sepejam (Palembang), pandan sili (Javanese), harashas (Sundanese).

Distribution

Indonesia (Java and Sumatra).

Uses

The leaves are used in the production of mats and hats, and for thatching and packing. They are, however, brittle and not very durable.

Observations

A dioecious, stemless, densely tufted shrub, 0.75-1.5 m tall, or tree with short, decumbent or leaning stem. Leaves linear, 1.5-2.5 m × 2-5 cm, margins and upper surface of the 2 lateral folds with prickles, dark green above, glaucous beneath. Male inflorescence an erect raceme of spikes subtended by boat-shaped, yellow bracts, offensively smelling; spikes 10-20 cm long, consisting of densely packed staminate phalanges, each phalange with very short filaments and 7-20 mm long anthers. Female inflorescence erect, sub-ellipsoid, in fruit a syncarpous polydrupe 8-12 cm × 6-9 cm, upper parts of drupes free, lower parts connate; mature drupe juicy, cylindrical-obovoid or conical, about 2 cm long (top falling off as a hood), free part beset with small tubercles, stigma simple, 4-9 mm long, pointed; endocarp about in the middle of the drupe. P. kurzii occurs and is locally numerous, both in wet and dry regions, in forest shade, up to 1100 m altitude. It flowers year-round in Java. According to B.C. Stone, P. kurzii is classified in subgenus Acrostigma , section Acrostigma .

Selected sources

6, 71, 176, 179.

Authors

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