Last Revision by the Author 20 Feb 2009. First Published on the Flora Mesoamerican Website, 18 May 2009
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Flora Mesoamericana, Volume 7 (Part 1), Pandanaceae, page 1 of 3 Last revision by the author 20 Feb 2009. First published on the Flora Mesoamerican Website, 18 May 2009. 271. PANDANACEAE Family description by M.J.M. Christenhusz. Woody trees, shrubs, or climbers, dioecious, with (aerial) roots from leaf axils. Leaves spirally 3- or 4-ranked, lanceolate or linear, sessile, sheathing at the base, folded in the length and “M”-shaped in cross-section when mature, the margins and midribs often spiny, the base rounded to auriculate. Inflorescences terminal or axillary, spicate, paniculate or (sub-)capitate, usually subtended by coloured spathe- like bracts. Flowers unisexual, sessile and commonly densely crowded; perianth absent. Staminate flowers with 2 to numerous stamens, spicately or umbellately aggregated; the anthers dehiscent by longitudinal slits, sometimes apiculate. Pistillate flowers with free to connate carpels, 1 ovule per carpel, the stigmas sessile, appressed to the apex of the carpel or erect, usually reniform or hippocrepiform, rarely linear or oblong. Fruits baccate or drupaceous, often syncarpous. 4 gen. Old World tropics, from West Africa, Madagascar and India to Southern China, the Philippines, Australia, New Zealand and Polynesia. Bibliography: Pool, A. Monogr. Syst. Bot. Missouri Bot. Gard. 85: 1911 (2001). Standley, P.C. & Steyermark, J.A. Fieldiana, Bot. 24: 67-68 (1958). Stone, B.C. Bot. Jahrb. Syst. 94: 459-540 (1974); Kew Bull. 31: 47-70 (1976); Bot. J. Linn. Soc. 97: 33-48 (1988). Warburg (1900). Pflanzenr. IV. 9 (Heft 3): 1-97. 1. Pandanus Parkinson. N.v.: screw-pines Keura Forssk., Vinsonia Gaudich. By M.J.M. Christenhusz. Trees or shrubs, usually erect or tilted; trunk smooth or covered by old leaf-bases, usually branched, usually supported by prominent stilt-roots. Leaves glabrous, linear- lanceolate, usually sheathing at the base and acute to caudate at apex, the midrib with Flora Mesoamericana, Volume 7 (Part 1), Pandanaceae, page 2 of 3 basoscopic prickles, the margins acroscopically spiny. Staminate flowers arranged in compound spikes, every spike with a spathulate bract; stamens numerous, the filaments free or partly fused, the anthers linear-oblong, basifixed. Pistillate flowers arranged in terminal spikes or racemes; bracts whitish; carpels 1-many, the stigmas usually reniform, sometimes hippocrepiform. Fruits syncarpous, globose, ovoid, ellipsoidal or cylindrical, the drupes densely crowded, the pericarp thin, the mesocarp fibrous or fleshy, the endocarp bony; seeds ovoid or fusiform. Approx. 150-700 spp. Africa, Madagascar, South and Southeast Asia, Malesia, Australia, New Zealand, Polynesia; cultivated and sometimes naturalized. The leaves possess strong fibers and are used for basketry, mats, hat-making, thatch, etc; the stilt-roots are used for chair seats and cordage; the fibrous fruits are cooked and eaten; the male inflorescences are very fragrant and are used for perfume. Some species are also planted as living fencing or as ornamentals (Mabberley, 1997). Pandanus is often planted as an ornamental, and probably can be found in most Mesoamerican countries. They are, however, not always recorded, and because they are bulky and difficult to collect, herbarium material is sparse. 1. Drupes incised at the apex into several parts, the stigmas solitary on the tip of each part; staminate flowers with the stamens fused into a dendritic candelabrum, not of the same length. 1. P. tectorius 1. Drupes entire, not incised at the apex, with several stigmas together at the tip; staminate flowers with stamens fused into an umbellate column, all of the same length. 2. P. utilis 1. Pandanus tectorius Parkinson, J. Voy. South Seas 46 (1773). Lectotype (designated by Christenhusz, 2009): Tahiti. Banks & Solander s.n. (BM-000956384!) Keura odorifera Forssk., Pandanus dubius Spreng., P. odoratissimus L.f., P. odoratus Salisb. Branched shrubs or small trees to 6 m; trunks usually flexuose and with numerous aerial roots. Leaves 60-150 × 0.2-6(-12) cm, sessile, stiff, the apex elongated, long-acuminate, the spines variable, usually green or yellowish, sometimes tinged red. Staminate spikes 5-18 cm; stamens basally fused into a dendritic-racemose candelabrum, the anthers long-linear, opening by slits. Syncarps variable in size, globular-capitate, pendent, with c. 50-80 drupes per syncarpium, the drupes 4-10 ×2-6 Flora Mesoamericana, Volume 7 (Part 1), Pandanaceae, page 3 of 3 cm, usually tinged red when ripe, incised, the carpels only fused toward the apex, with 1 reniform stigma at the apex of each carpel. Cultivated and sometimes naturalized, especially on beaches along the coast. G (Standley & Steyermark, 1958: 68); H (Molina R., 1975: 10); N (Rueda & Paguaga 13244, MO); CR (Gómez et al. 20293, MO). 0-700 m. (Native across a wide area of the tropical Pacific, Hawaii, Philippines, Moluccas, New Guinea and coastal tropical Australia; cultivated elsewhere.) This is a polymorphic and widespread species. Stone (1976) circumscribed and discussed its variability, but a global revision of the species, preferably using molecular techniques, is still necessary. The leaves are used for matting, the fibers are used to make rope, the fruits produce a sweet juice, and the seeds can be roasted and make a nice snack. 2. Pandanus utilis Bory, Voy. Îles Afrique 2: 3 (1804). Type: Réunion,Bory de St.-Vincent s.n. (P). Vinsonia utilis (Bory) Gaudich. Branched trees to 20 m. Leaves 50-100 × 0.3-8 cm, sessile, firm, glaucous, the apex acuminate, the spines often reddish tinged. Staminate spikes 10-20 cm; stamens basally fused into a fine umbellate column, the anthers linear, opening by slits. Syncarps c. 15 cm in diameter, solitary, trigono-globose, pendent on a long peduncle, with c. 100 drupes per syncarpium, the drupes 3-3.5 × 2-3 cm, the carpels fully fused to the apex, with 4-6 reniform stigmas at the apex. Cultivated, a coastal plant in the wild. ES (Linares, 2003: 188); P (Zetek s.n., MO). 0-60 m. (Native to Madagascar; elsewhere cultivated.) The leaves are used for matting. .