Pandanus piricus (PROSEA)

Plant Resources of South-East Asia Introduction

List of species

Pandanus piricus St. John

Family: Pandanaceae

Distribution

Philippines (Leyte).

Uses

The leaves are used in the production of baskets and mats.

Observations

A dioecious shrub, 4 m tall, branches 3 cm in diameter. Leaves 2 m × 9 cm, at midsection the margins undulate and bearing, as does the midrib underside, ascending prickles 2 mm long, 5-13 mm apart; each half of the leaf with about 64 parallel secondary veins. Infructescence spicate, bearing 4 pale red fruits; peduncle 43 cm long; syncarp subglobose, 10 cm in diameter; carpels narrowly pear-shaped, 3.5 cm × 1-2 cm × 1 cm, 5-6-angled and with reniform stigmas, upper fourth part free, lower part connate; upper mesocarp fibrous, lower mesocarp fleshy and fibrous; endocarp black, 24 mm × 3-4 mm. Seed ellipsoidal, 3-4 mm long. H. St. John has placed P. piricus in subgenus Pandanus sensu B.C. Stone, section Elmeria , which also contains the closely related P. radicans Blanco.

Selected sources

170.

Authors

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