Pandanus polycephalus (PROSEA)

Plant Resources of South-East Asia Introduction

List of species

Pandanus polycephalus Lamk

Family: Pandanaceae

Synonyms

Pandanus kurzianus Solms, P. rechingerii Martelli, P. wallichianus Martelli.

Vernacular names

• Indonesia: panreng (southern Sulawesi), pandan kecil (Malay, Moluccas), oro-oro (northern Halmahera).

Distribution

Indonesia (Sulawesi, the Moluccas), the Solomon Islands and New Britain. Occasionally cultivated (e.g. in Java).

Uses

When no other pandans are present, older leaves are used in the Moluccas to make mats, which are not very durable. On Halmahera, where P. polycephalus is sometimes planted, the leaves are used for fine woven articles and they are preferred to those of P. tectorius Parkinson for this purpose. Young leaves are white, tender and sweet like palm cabbage, and are eaten raw in the Moluccas. They are also recommended for people who have eaten bad seafood. Fresh fruits are used in Sulawesi as an abortifacient.

Observations

A dioecious tree, rarely taller than 6 m, with short prop roots and a large crown of numerous very short leafy branches. Leaves linear, 0.8-1.5 m × 3-4 cm, margins dentate, especially basally and apically, midrib dorsally dentate. Male inflorescence a raceme of about 9 spikes, in total about 21 cm × 9 cm; each spike about 5 cm × 2 cm, with numerous, congested, sessile, 6-8 mm long flowers (each male flower is again a spike of 3-11 stamens) which smell faintly of carrion. Female inflorescence an axillary raceme of 4, 5 or 6 subellipsoid syncarps each subtended by an early falling bract; peduncle 6-9 cm long, raceme 9-14 cm long; syncarp 3-7 cm × 2-5 cm, light green in flower, turning deep bright orange-red in fruit and then smelling of fermented apples; drupes 50-150 per syncarp, irregularly penta-hexagonal subpyramidal, 6-17 mm × 4-10 mm; stigmas 1-2(-3), 1-seeded. Fruits fall as units, the drupes separating thereafter. P. polycephalus is found in various coastal and swamp-like habitats. According to B.C. Stone, P. polycephalus is classified in subgenus Kurzia , section Jeanneretia .

Selected sources

6, 20, 71, 174, 176.

Authors

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